A Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal Fanfiction: Rise from the Worst, Search for Tomorrow
by CroftButler21
Summary: A new spin on the original story, with my OC Athena Fujina as the main protagonist! AU in a way, but while maintaining a fair amount of the basic story and a good number of the original characters (one will be genderbent). See my profile for the full plot and a list of the OCs to come.
1. Embarking the Path to History, Part One

Hey everyone, I'm back with a new story!

This time 'round, I'm taking a try at one of the Yu-Gi-Oh! series/spinoffs. So, I hereby enact the following disclaimer:

I do not own in any shape or form the plot nor the characters of _Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal_. Such copyright and ownership belongs to director _Satoshi Kuwahara_ , writer _Shin Yoshida_ , _Gallop Studios_ , and _4K Media Incorporated_.

I've got as good a feeling about this as I've had about my other stories, so off we go! Read, Review and Enjoy!

* * *

 _(Step...step...step...)_

 _Our story begins at a place unknown to any, dark clouds making up the sky, the area lit only by the mysterious lights floating from an endless pit surrounding a dangerously-narrow ravine..._

 _The brave soul who was carefully making their way down the path on top of the rocky structure, was a young teenage girl with waist-length black hair tipped copper-red, wearing an outfit consisting of a gray tank-top with a light blue flame design in the middle under a black leather jacket, a pair of dark-wash jeans with suspender belts hanging loosely down her hips and a tear in her left knee, dark red sneakers, and a strange, golden pendant shaped in the likeness of a key tied around her neck._

 _Getting a better frontal view, we see she has lightly-tanned skin, and rare red eyes that seemed flaked with silver and gold, they currently wide and wary as she looked ahead towards the object of her perilous walk:_

 _A ginormous door sitting in the middle of a fenced beyond, pillared and created with the likeness of a demon right down to the long, sharp fangs and mean yellow eyes. It had a massive chain running at different angles over its surface, held by a singular lock..._

 _"Back here again, huh...?"_

 _Her tone suggests that the girl had experienced this event before, so it's fair to say she would be prepared for what many would not, that being the door emitting an ominous message._

 _"Whoever can open this door, will gain a great new power...But know that with such an award, comes great risk...Have you the courage to unlock this power?"_

 _The door's eyes glow red in time with the gold-yellow emitting from the pendant around the girl's neck, and she takes a step back while muttering with narrowed eyes,_

 _"Great risk? Of what? It's not like I have anything to lo-"_

 _(Crick-CRACK)_

 _"Whooooooooooaaaaaaaaaa!"_

(Jolt)

"Guh!"

And just as she loses ground and falls into the abyss, we find out that the girl was actually dreaming, waking up to find herself safe in her bedroom! Taking a moment to compose herself and slow her breathing, she looks around to check her surroundings.

The room itself was a fair size, with mahogany-washed walls, an oak hard-floor, a single window with two panes that open, and the ceiling held an entrance in the right corner beside the window to the attic, which was accessible by either a rope line or a foldable ladder. Her bed was positioned near the attic, simple-framed with a blue comforter and white sheets with the head facing away, complete with matching side-table that had one drawer and an alarm clock sitting on top in front of a photograph frame, reading 5:00 AM. On the window's right side sat a desk of average size, gold-brown-washed with a matching chair and the girl's Duel Monster deck spread out on it next to her dueling equipment, right down to her duel disk and gazer, they both a matching red with a black wash.

"Hah...hah...hah...Well, that wasn't how I wanted to wake up, but better that dream than my usual nightmares..."

She looks over and sees the time:

"Hm, five in the morning? That's not so bad...Welp, guess I better get ready to head out."

Moving out of bed, we see that the girl was wearing a very large gray t-shirt as her pajamas. She moves towards the closet sitting in the wall opposite of her to grab out her outfit for the morning: A dark green halter top with black bordering the sides with matching leggings, and a pair of black running sneakers. In her backpack (coloured dark grey with black outlining), tucked away along with her schoolwork and dueling things, was her school uniform, consisting of a white sleeveless top with a pink collar, blue pants, black socks and brown shoes, assumingly a mash-up of the different gendered attires.

Once she was dressed and had done her long hair up into a high ponytail, the teen heads downstairs with her backpack slung over her shoulder for the kitchen for something to eat and pack her lunch for later.

"...Up already, are we, Athena?"

"Hm?"

She, now identified as Athena, looks over into the living room, furbished in a more modern, bohemian style, and sees someone sitting on a light green rocking chair posted by the front windows:

An older man in his late sixties, with pale-olive skin, a sweet face that seemed to always have a smile, yet his brown-red eyes held a knowing glint, gray hair cut short enough to be pulled back into a small ponytail, and wore a blue kimono with a dark grey vest overtop.

"Oh, mornin', Grandpa."

"I see you're about ready to head out the door. (Chuckle) You've become quite the early bird this last year or so..."

"Yeah, I know, but I can't seem to fight it. (Sniff) That bacon and eggs I smell?"

"Freshly made, and your water bottle's already filled. Just remember to grab your lunch before you go."

A small smile graces Athena's lips:

"You're a saint, Gramps. Thank you."

After she eats her fill of breakfast, and packs away her food while attaching her water bottle to the side of her backpack, she would soon be making her way out the door, her grandfather seeing her off.

"Have a good run and a good day at school, Addy dear!"

"See you later, Grandpa!"

(Ka-chank)

Getting a quick view of the house, we see it to be a rather interesting hodge-podge of cottage and modern construction, the main building showcasing the more classic look complete with a barn red roof, an abstract white attachment on the right, and the garage being more high-tech with a small garden overtop, the door made from blue steel.

Coming down the side steps leading out from between some thick hedges, Athena pulls out her Mp3 Player from her leggings pocket to scroll through her song list for the first of many to listen to as she did her early morning run before school.

"Hm, let's see...Ah, Diamond Eyes; that's a good starter!"

(Note: I do not own references to any songs by the band _Shinedown_. They alone attain such.)

Clicking the song alive, she stretches her limbs to the beat of the intro, musing neutrally to herself,

 _Alright, Athena Fujina: Time to start a new day._

Small Time Skip, Athena's POV

Hah, well, it's been another fairly average morning so far. Not alot of foot traffic during this time of day, other than a few random people like me who do some early cardio before they get on with the rest of their routines...

Now, I know what some of you must be thinking: What the heck is a thirteen-year old girl doing jogging around the big city for close to three hours before school starts?

Well...let's just say for now that I'm not your average teen. Contrary to most kids my age who try to sleep in for as long as possible on the weekdays before they get disturbed by their alarm clocks (or in some cases, hard-ass parents), I actually love getting up bright and early. It allows me to get a glance of Heartland City in a quieter light before it really hums to life once the eight o'clock rolls around.

In that event, aside from my Grandpa (Homare to his friends), I'm usually the first in my house to wake up and last to come home at the end of the day (unless my brothers are working late).

...It wasn't always this way for me, though: There was a time before that I wasn't an 'early bird' or this much inclined to working out...but I don't like talking about it.

"Trash identified."

 _Hup, sounds like I'm comin' up on the morning clean-up crew._

Turning the next corner down the one neighbourhood that leads near the park, I spot two of the city's LitterBots picking up some minor debris from the pavement. I sometimes find it a little odd that we have sentient machines picking up the slack for the more lazier humans that barely think about the health of our planet, but as long as they do their job, who am I to complain?

"Trash contained."

"'Scuse me!"

I do a splits-jump over one of the LitterBots, which makes them have a minor panic-attack.

"Error! Error!"

I called over my shoulder upon landing and continuing my jog,

"Take it easy, man; you're fine!"

"...Addy!"

Next thing I knew, one of my best friends, Jamal comes rolling in on his tricked-out scooter, he already dressed for school in his full-boy's uniform of a white button shirt with red bordering and a red tie under the collar, blue pants and brown shoes, his backpack strapped over his shoulders while his dreadlocked hair was tucked under a dark blue helmet. Now, when I say 'full-boy's uniform', it was a play on what I wear for the Academy: I basically protested like a wildcat against that 'little pink menace' they call a skirt for the girl's uniform, and given how serious I must've looked to the principal, he allowed a compromise which states that as long as I wear the girl's shirt, shoes and socks, I can get away with wearing the boy's pants...

Anyway, getting back to now, as Jamal and I rolled/ran through the streets down our usual meet-up path to school, he asks me,

"Think your brothers are up by now?"

"Well, it's about seven-thirty last I checked my watch, so...I'm thinkin' Adam's draggin' himself out of his room for a shower, while Terry's just done his bonk-on-the-floor wake-up call."

We both laugh at the imagery, but, I guess we should've paid attention to where we were going, for just as we came down the small incline leading to the corner we'd have to turn before we see the Academy, two LitterBots zipped out of nowhere and blocked our path!

"Guh!" "Oh crap!"

(Crash)

"Malfunction!" "Whah!" "Agh!"

We would smack into the tin cans hard, Jamal flying a bit off his scooter before skidding to the ground, while I got gut-checked and landed on my side...Now to most, that would've hurt considerably, but here's another blurb about me: I can't feel physical pain.

...No seriously, I feel zero; aside from a 'sensation' from the impact (like a tickle or a quick touch), I get nothing. Again, it's not something I like to talk about...partly because I'm still trying to wrap my head around it even to this day.

"Trash identified. Trash identified."

But moving on, the two LitterBots we ran into weren't the only ones nearby, and as soon as they collected themselves, they began picking up the garbage spilled from their canisters...There was just one little problem: Mixed into the trash, was mine and Jamal's Duel Monster cards!

"Whoa whoa whoa!"

"Hey, you bolt-brains; those aren't part of your daily pick-up!"

We quickly scrambled off the ground and began to snatch back our cards, as the LitterBots inquired about our distress.

"Not, trash?" I bark back,

"Of course not: Those cards are part of our decks!"

"Your, decks?"

Jamal and I answer together in an obvious tone,

"For Dueling, duh!"

And guess what these buckets of bolts started blurting next?

"Dueling Trash. Dueling Trash. Dueling Trash..."

 _Geez, how clueless can ya get?! You'd think a city crazy about Duel Monsters like ours would program these jerkbots to know what the cards look like!_

Growling in frustration, Jamal and I then shout,

"Listen, you tin-creeps: They're not trash!"

Eventually, we did swipe all our cards back, spent a minute or two trading back ones that belonged in the other's deck, before getting back to the business that was getting to school on time.

 _Man, what a stupid delay...Tiffany's lucky she's got a monorail pass and doesn't have to deal with this insanity._

No POV

Unbeknownst to Athena, her other best friend had caught a glimpse of the said 'stupid delay' as she and a classmate in the same year as her rode the monorail up above.

Tiffany was a rather pretty girl, her skin being a pale olive shade, making her cornflower blue irises pop along with her bobbed black hair. Unlike Athena, she was comfortable with wearing the full-girl's school uniform, right down to the mid-thigh short, pink pleated skirt. She also wore a green hair clip with a white daisy decor on it to hold up her right fringe.

"Did you see that, Tiff? Seems like Addy and Jamal might need to reconsider their Dueling decks."

"Hm? Why's that?"

"Well, it looked like those LitterBots thought they were garbage."

Tiffany blushes slightly with a somewhat embarrassed smile and partly-agrees:

"Ah-heh...maybe...but that one bot seemed more concerned with taking away Jamal's scooter."

Eventually, we turn eyes to the Heartland Dueling Academy, a popular school where most of the city's children wind up attending after completing their elementary education. The set-up of the place was more akin to that of a state-of-the-art university, with one large glass building shaped like a hollow bowl acting as the connecting center to all others, right down to the gymnasium field and swimming pool.

We hear a male voice call through an intercom,

"Second-Period Gym will now begin. All students please report to the field-house."

(Slap)

"Twenty! Ha, if you can jump this many vault boxes, Addy, you'll set a new school record!"

Inside, we see Jamal directing his hand to a towering stack of plastic boxes used for vaulting, he now wearing his gym uniform of a white t-shirt with red bordering, blue shorts and white shoes matching his socks. Athena was nearby in a runner's pose, she wearing the girl's uniform of a blue-washed white t-shirt with red bordering, pink shorts and white shoes matching her socks, a confident smirk on her face, while Tiffany stood by with an anxious smile.

"Alright, here we go: Today's the day we make history!"

She sprints forward and makes the leap off the jumping board, getting fairly good propulsion...However:

(Crash)

It wasn't quite enough to make it over all twenty, just barely scrapping the seventeen mark, so she would smack right into the boxes and topple to the floor...Tiffany immediately rushes to check on her friend:

"Addy?!"

The red-eyed girl pops out of the pile and flashes a slight smile of assurance:

"I'm okay, Tiff! Just wasn't the day."

(Bonk)

"Oh! (Looks around) Where'd that come from?"

One of the boxes bounces off her head, and everyone in the class bursts into laughter, while Tiffany shakes her head with a sigh and Jamal chortles,

"Points for effort, bud!"

(Splash...)

Their next half of gym class would be spent in the pool, and Athena, now dressed in the school-designated swimwear for girls (they being a pink/white one-piece) would dive headfirst into the water for yet another challenge dared by her peers. Tiffany cheers her on from her stand on the other side of the pool:

"Go, Addy!"

Jamal, he wearing the boy's swimwear of blue swim-trunks with three red arrowhead designs pointing down on the sides, was more playfully skeptical on his friend's chances.

"Tch, I'll be surprised if she makes it halfway compared to her latest vault jump..."

Under the chlorinated blue, Athena kicks off in a steady pace, eyes narrowed in concentration and lips shut tight.

 _Hold my breath for a whole lap...Got it!_

She makes it to one corner, and kicks off from that wall to gain some distance and speed, doing it again for the next corner to boost herself for the second longer length, before kicking off a third time back to where she started!

(Splash)

"Haaaah!"

The other teens gasp in shocked disbelief when they see her burst out of the water with a gasping breath, before breaking out into excited cheers for the red-eyed teen for finally completing one of the challenges.

"Yeah!" "Alright, Addy!"

"She actually made it this time!"

While Athena took in some coughed gulps of air, Tiffany and Jamal rush to meet with her, excited smiles on their faces and helping hands already stretched out.

"That was awesome, Addy!"

"Damn! I was so sure you weren't gonna make cut this round...You okay?"

Pulling back her drenched black locks, she looks up at her friends and replies a bit breathlessly with a small smile,

"Y-Yeah...I'm good. Real good."

Small Time Skip

"So as this example clearly shows, a sentence has a noun and a predicate..."

The next class we'd be joining is English, one that only the girls of the trio shared, while Jamal had Science down the hall.  
As she sat in the back with the other, Tiffany found herself asking Athena with a frown of mixed concern and exasperation,

"So...you mind explaining why you do those things, Addy?"

Looking up from her Duel Disk that was set to laptop mode, the girl with long black hair highlighted with copper-red tips replies with a smirk,

"The dares, you mean? Why not? It's good-clean fun."

"You mean you enjoy catapulting into vault boxes and barely walking away from an underwater lap?"

Catching a slight tease in the blue-eyed girl's tone, Athena's smirk falters a little in annoyance.

"...Very funny, but obviously no: It's the challenge that drives me. The only way you can move forward in life is taking it by the horns without any fear of falling down. And even if you do, who cares? Just get up, brush it off and try again. I wanna be able to take chances like that, Tiff, and there's no time like the present to get started."

She reaches to her torso and takes hold of the mysterious golden pendant around her neck, a ghost of a smile on her lips.

"Nothing's gonna stand in my way of today and tomorrow, and this key will help unlock the road gate ahead."

"That's the one your dad gave you, right? When he and your mom went on that one expedition?"

"Mhm. Don't remember where exactly they found it, though; somethin' about a new temple...Anyway, this key has helped me through some tough times, and still does do this day. I believe it has the power to unlock true potential."

Tiffany widens her eyes slightly in awe:

"Really? You think it might work on me?"

"Probably not."

She slips over onto the desk in surprise, before asking with a disappointed frown,

"How come?"

"Because the key's become a part of who I am. I don't think it can work for more than one person at a time...But anyway, someday it's gonna open the door to my real calling in life. And when it does..."

Athena grips the pendant closer to herself in an almost desperate gesture, her pupils dulling with an emotion unreadable to the average eye, and finishes in a whisper,

"Maybe...maybe I can find my missing happiness."

Small Time Skip, Athena's POV

I guess I must've scared Tiffany a bit with that thing I said in English Class, for she kept on staring at me with pity out of the corner of her eyes until the period was over. I can't really blame her for it, either: This last year and half has had alot of touch and go since I...began battling with depression.

It's nothing too serious that I need to take medication or anything, but, I used to go and see a therapist every two weeks to talk about my progress in putting myself back together again since I quit that more...extreme coping measure, and that's the more discreet and polite way of putting it. Part of the problem stems from the fact it's been a couple years since I last saw my mom and dad, and, I miss them so much. Even so, it's been getting harder to keep up the hope for their return...but I'll keep trying.

One thing that's been bringing me some form of enjoyment in my existence is Dueling: It's one of the few games where logic is only a piece of what's required to be a keen player. The other part is knowing when to expect the unexpected, and how to do such.

So obviously, my mood would perk up considerably come Duel Period, as it does for a good number of the students in this academy, who were already hard into their own matches by the time Tiff and I made our way to the field.

"Shall we?"

"Yep."

(Click) (Click)

"Duel Gazer: Set!"

I snap on my gazer, it coloured a deep red with a black wash, and the AR World comes to life before our eyes, adding on the visual effects such as the statuses of each player's Life Points, and an individual monster's Attack and/or Defense Points.

 _Still amazing each time I log in..._

Tiffany and I begin walking around the area, minding ourselves so we didn't get caught in the dueling crossfire, while I scouted for any free duelists.

"Let's see: Who to duel today?"

"You sure you don't mean 'who to lose to' today?"

I shoot Tiff a glare and retort,

"Oh shut it, would you? So I don't have best dueling average: We can't all be prodigies."

"Uh! Addy, look!"

"Huh?"

Following her point, I peer over at the top of one set of stairs, and see my other friend already engaged in a duel.

"Jamal?"

We rushed up to meet behind him, and getting a closer look, it seems he wasn't doing very well in this match, his face reflecting nerves. We'd quickly find out why:

"Oh great: Look who he's dueling!"

Peering across the way, I'd form a glare of distaste in seeing the one boy I'd hoped Jamal wasn't in a duel with.

 _Shark._

Quick explanation about him: He's a year ahead of us (as noted by the green-bordered shirt and blue necktie), has pale skin, sharp cerulean eyes, blue-purple hair styled to resemble what I see as tentacles with a light blue crown over his forehead, and is your average school bully. He's always dragging kids into duels who are less-experienced than he is so he can wipe the floor with them, usually accompanied by a dumb-ass wager.

 _Fan-freaking-tastic..._

He doesn't even bother hiding his arrogance and cocky attitude as he addresses my best guy-friend.

"I've got you now, Jamal. See, since I got two monsters on the field and they're both at the same level, I can use them to summon an XYZ Monster!"

 _XYZ?! Oh man, Jamal's gonna be in huge trouble now!_

"So watch as I overlay my Skull Kraken and Big Jaws to do just that!"

The Level Three monsters on Shark's side form into their own streams of contrasting blue light, which twirl with one another before diving into the red vortex monsters dive into before becoming a whole new beast.

"Watch as I unleash a terror from above land and sea! Watch, as I summon, Aero Shark!"

Next thing we knew, a gigantic, two-bodied shark cyborg monster comes crashing out of the ground, Rank 3 with 1900 Attack Points and 1000 Defense Points!

"...Jamal's gonna need a big guy to combat against that."

"Wish it was that simple, but I don't remember him having any monsters strong enough to take on something like that."

 _And even if he did, attack strength's the least of his problems:_

 _Because the monsters used to summon aren't sent to the Graveyard but join up as Overlay Units for the XYZ's special ability, there's always more than one way to best your opponent than just charging like a bull..._

 _'Course, mind you, I think that might be what Shark's plan is, today, at least._

"Now then, Aero Shark: Dig in on that chump!"

And right I was: His monster is sent to lunge down on Jamal, wiping out his last 800 Life Points and knocking him backwards to the ground so hard his gazer falls off. We all log out of the AR, and I mutter Jamal's name in concern as he struggles to push himself up into a sitting position, just as Shark comes waltzing over to him with a smug smirk on his face.

"Thanks for the duel, and this."

He then reaches down in front of him to...take Jamal's deck?!

 _Oh Hell No!_

"Hey: Drop the deck, you creep!"

Shark's smirk is replaced with a frown as Tiffany and I rush to Jamal's side on the defense.

"Who're you?" Glaring evenly, I reply,

"Name's Athena, and you've got some nerve pickin' a fight with one of my best friends, Jamal."

Two other second year boys, one with curly blue hair with a yellow outline while the other sported spiky sand-brown hair with light orange highlighting the front come up by Shark's sides, and the former says to me,

"Buzz off! Or don't you know who you're messin' with?"

Taking a step forward before folding my arms, I retort dryly,

"Duh, 'course I know him: Who the hell doesn't know the school bully?"

Shark chuckles a bit before replying calmly,

"I'm no bully. You see, Jamal and I, we had an arrangement."

"Which was...?"

"It went like this: Whoever won got the other's duel deck."

 _...Are you fu-?!_

I whirled my stare to Jamal's form as he got to his feet, a grimace of frustration on his face while I was preparing my lecture glare.

"Please tell me you didn't fall for the, 'You got the guts or what' banter and actually anted your deck!"

...He says nothing...

"Oh my god, you did! Dammit, Jamal!" He tries to argue back in his defense,

"I had little options: He called out the challenge and called me a chicken!"

I counter with sarcasm,

"Oh yeah, 'cause it's always a good idea to let lame-ass insults like that get to you! (Groan) Alright, I'll deal with you later..."

My eyes fall back on Shark, changing my focus to getting back Jamal's deck.

"Look. As far as I'm concerned, we can do this two ways: Either you do the right and hand back his deck so we can all just walk away like this never happened, or, you accept my challenge for a duel."

His sidekicks seemed about as amused as he looked at how ballsy I was being.

"What? You're outta your mind: You're not even close to being in the same league as Shark!"

"Nah, you're not even in the same sport!"

I found myself smirking at their weak insults before casually countering,

"That so? Tuh, then I think we all know who the real chicken here is, and it sure as hell ain't Jamal, _right, Shark?_ "

Something in his irises shifted from my tease, and he steps towards me with a more hardened expression.

"...Chicken? You know what happened to the last person who called me a chicken?"

"Oh, somethin' bad, perhaps? Please enlighten me." He blares back,

"I dunno, 'cause it's never, ever happened before!"

"Ah, so this is a first for you, then. Regular milestone for the school bully; 'bout time."

Shark stares at me in surprise by how unaffected I was by his burst of anger...before laughing slightly with a new smirk.

"Wow, you really are as gutsy as some of the others talk."

 _Hm, so he's heard of my rep too, huh? No surprise for me, the Academy Outcast._

Yeah, I have a bit of a reputation at school too: It started more than a year and half ago when I used to frequent to a rougher district of the city and ditched a few days a week of education. The reason? Well...as I've mentioned before, I was going through a rough patch, and that extreme coping measure came in around this time, leaving me with more physical and emotional scars than what I was battling against. Again, not quite ready to mention said name of activity, but long story short, even though that piece of my life's being left down the road behind me, it's also kind-a made me known as a bit of a roughneck even in this first year at the academy. Thankfully, it's downgraded to a point where no one's looking at me like I'm dangerous or to be feared, but I still sometimes catch a bit of chatter down the halls that relates to 'she's too rough-cut for dueling' or 'how is she not in the hospital yet?' and whatever.

...But back to the situation at hand: Shark then holds out Jamal's deck and asks me,

"Alright then. Athena, was it, or should I call you Addy? Say we do duel: You want Jamal's deck back, but what's in it for me?"

Looking down in thought, I mutter,

"That, is a good question. What's somethin' a guy like you would be interested in...?"

Suddenly:

(Snap)

"Uh!"

Shark snatches and rips off my key pendant! I growl and would've sprang at him, if his lackeys didn't move quick to restrain me.

"What the hell, Shark?!"

"My. Now this seems important to you, now doesn't it?"

 _He has absolutely no idea..._

"Give it back right now!"

"Settle down. Since it means that much to you, I'll give it back, and I'll duel you for it-"

He then drops it to the ground with an overly-feigned,

"Whoops. I dropped it; hope nothin' bad happens to it down there...Say like, this!"

(Stomp, CRACK)

...It felt like the entire world vanished for a split second, as the heel of Shark's foot came down on my pendant, breaking it in two...I'm released, but too numb with shock to stand, instead opting to falling on my knees, gingerly picking up the one half attached to the string. I hear my friends mutter my name with worry, and I grip that half of the pendant hard, before shooting my head up and bark in a seething tone,

"You, bastard! Why?!"

"For the same reason I'm doin' this."

He then kicks away the loose half of my pendant, it flying out of sight as he adds in mirth,

"Guess you're right after all: I am a bully!"

I watch the piece disappear, and felt something in my heart crack alongside a surfacing memory I'd hope would stay down...

 _(Flash)_

 _An unknown fist comes flying..._

 _"Hrrah!"_

 _(Punch)_

 _"GUH!"_

 _My figure from another life is struck hard in the gut, before I go crashing to the ground, it surrounded by a sickeningly-familiar cable-cord fence..._

 _(Flash)_

"And since we can't duel for that anymore, you don't get this."

(...PUNCH)

"UH!"

Next thing I knew, my right fist shoots forward and smacks hard against Shark's cheek, sending him back into one of the poles in this area! Everyone else gasps, while I took a deep breath to stop myself from doing anything else too crazy, opting instead for a deadly tone of voice and stepping forward to grip his shirt and hold him against the pole.

" _Let me explain something to you_ : There's only so few things I'm willing to gamble, like cash, favours or even the occasional smoothie...But I would rather crawl barefoot through broken glass, in acid rain, before I allow anyone, to steal away my pendant, god forbid destroy it!"

I hear Tiffany and Jamal call from their places a few feet away,

"Addy, wait!"

"Don't-!"

Glaring hard at Shark, who was looking at me with wide eyes...I then step backwards while releasing him and finish,

"Just be grateful I'm above beating the crap out of you... _for now._ "

His lackeys help him to his feet while my friends come up behind me and place a hand each on my shoulders, chiding in whispers,

"You did the right thing letting him down."

"I'm not that worth it to get in trouble with the principal..." I mumble back,

"I know...and you would be, Jamal."

"...You're not one for giving up, are you?"

We turn our focus back on Shark, who unwrinkled his shirt while shooting me a look I couldn't read, replacing it with a taunting smirk as he then says,

"Alright: If you still wanna duel me, perhaps we can work some sort of arrangement out. (Holds up Jamal's cards) If you beat me, I'll give back this deck...But if I win, Athena, I get your deck."

 _Greeeeaaat. Insert 'Sarcasm'.  
_

"This Sunday, at the Station's Courtyard. If you want this deck back, be there."

With that, he and the two half-wits turn and walk away, leaving us three to watch, myself narrowing my eyes in anger and disbelief.

 _What a way to get yourself in trouble, Addy._

Small Time Skip

Soon as I got home and ate dinner later in the evening, I shut myself in my room to brood about what happened in Duel Period while doing my homework until I got tired enough to go to sleep...

Unfortunately, some other force decided to give me a hard time in the dream realm, again, and I found myself facing that dangerous-albeit-cool-looking door...

 _"Oh man, not this again..."_

 _"Whoever can open this door, will gain a great new power...But know that with such an award, comes great risk...Have you the courage to unlock this power?"_

 _Just as I peer down at my now broken pendant..._

 _(Flash)_

"Uh!"

The dream cuts out a little shorter this time, and I woke up safe in my bed while the night still owned the outside world...Even so, as I puffed in and out a few breaths, I look down at the half of pendant in my palm with a saddened expression, mumbling,

"...If I don't have a working key, why would something like that still matter?"

 _All I cared about, was reaching true happiness again...But now..._

 _Now it looks like the road block's back up._

Time Skip, No POV

For the next few days until the weekend rolled around, Athena's mood had taken a downward drop, as evident by her slouching form in the gym's field house during a new class.

She watches one of the other students vault over a reasonable stack, just as Tiffany comes over and asks a bit more cheerfully,

"Hey, Addy: You gonna try the twenty-block challenge again?"

Looking down at her broken half of pendant with sad, red orbs, Athena mutters in a dead tone,

"I'll pass for today..."

"Huh? Oh..."

Then during Swimming, a random boy tries to get her into repeating that one challenge:

"Addy! You gonna make another underwater lap today?"

She calls back in that same tone from the other side of the pool,

"No thanks...Maybe another time."

Athena flinches when she's splashed a little by Tiffany, who asks with a small smile,

"Hey! What's with the mood?"

"...I'm not overly sure myself, Tiff."

The bob-style girl stares at the other with worry as she adds with a bit of regret,

"I just...I feel like a part of me's dying, since Shark shattered my pendant. It's like I lost my safety shield...from a different kind of pain..."

They're sitting beside eachother on the edge of the pool by this point, and Tiffany wraps an arm around her friend while carefully asking,

"...Have those thoughts been coming back?"

"Thankfully, no...but they might as well begin their haunt."

Unbeknownst to either, Jamal was watching from the corner nearby, his face set in a serious expression...

Later on around sunset, we see the girls begin their walk home from another day of learning, but then stop when they hear the third of their trio calling for them.

"Addy! Tiff!"

Turning around, they see Jamal roll to a smooth stop on his scooter, and softly address his name as he focuses his aqua-green eyes on the girl with waist-length hair.

"Athena...are you still planning on dueling with Shark in two days?"

"(Shrug) Not like I can just back out. Why?"

"...You shouldn't do it."

Athena's red irises widen in surprise, as Jamal argues,

"You won't win against him, Addy."

"The hell do you mean by that?!"

"I mean Shark made it all the way to the Nationals last year!"

Jamal then looks down and adds a bit more soberly,

"Look...it's not that I don't appreciate what you're tryin' to do...but I'm over it. Those cards...they won't be too hard to replace."

As the streetlights started blinking to life for the coming evening, Athena counters,

"This is no longer just about your cards, Jamal: There's a principle that needs to be addressed."

"Huh?"

"The unwritten principle of Pride versus Respect: Shark needs to be taught that he can't disrespect fellow duelists with these stupid antes and his callous attitude because he allowed his ego to inflate...And if no one else besides me has the guts to teach him, that's fine. Who gives a crap if he's gone to the Nationals? Anyone can get there if they set their minds to it!"

She looks up with a ghost of a smile and finishes,

"And someday...one of those anyones could be me."

Tiffany smiles proudly at her friend with a nod, while Jamal could only stare in awe...before finally replying offhandedly,

"Well, if that's that, do what you gotta...But here: You'll need this."

He then reaches into his pants pocket, and lightly tosses to Athena the missing half of her golden pendant!  
She catches it effortlessly with a look of mild shock, and smiles gratefully at him while asking,

"Jamal...how did you-" He interrupts with a half-embarrassed smirk,

"How do ya think? By lookin' for it, dummy. Ah-heh, well, see ya 'round!"

With that, he whirls around on his scooter and takes off for his home, leaving the girls to smile and smirk knowingly at his retreating back...

A while later, we catch up with Athena, now dressed in her gray sleepshirt and sitting on her bed as she sorts out her deck for the upcoming duel.

"Hm, let's see...Hah, I guess these combos will do, but will they be enough for the day after tomorrow?"

She pivots her head to her nightstand to look at an old photograph framed in redwood of two adults, a man with short, spiky black hair and a balbo beard, grey eyes and fairly-tanned skin, standing alongside a woman with medium-length, feathered copper-red hair, red eyes and fair skin, both wearing similar clothing of the typical explorer, except the woman was wearing a black leather jacket over hers, the same one Athena wears nowadays. The both of them were also holding the golden key pendant in their palms together, in front of a distant view of what looks to be a temple...

Athena's lips form a tiny smile of longing as she decides,

"Yeah...they will be. After all, you gave me these cards for reason...didn't you, dad?"

Time Skip

Come that night and one more day, we find Athena getting ready to meet her friends and her opponent at the Monorail Courtyard, sporting more regular attire rather than her school uniform:

This time, it would be a plain red tank-top that showed a little of her stomach under her black leather jacket, the sleeves having opened zippers exposing an inner layer, a dark blue/red checkered skirt with four silver suspender belts resting on her hips from the material's belt loops overtop a pair of black skinny jeans, dark red sneakers, her Duel Monster deck attached to her left side, and her long, shaggy hair was styled into a simple plait.

Adjusting the straps of her smaller backpack (it sky blue with leather brown outlining) she uses outside school, Athena waves to her grandfather who was seeing her off from the doorway.

"I'm headin' out to meet my friends. See you later, gramps!"

"Hold on!"

"What? Did I forget my water bottle?"

"Not quite. (Toss) Here."

The elder man then gently throws a small cloth bundle to his granddaughter, who catches it with one hand before peeking at its contents with a curious expression.

"...Mochi?"

"Mhm. Consider it your Duel Fuel. Now, go show that bully what for!"

Athena looks at her grandfather with surprise by his words, he wearing a knowing smile...before she grins and nods...

A while later, we catch up with the red-orbed teen at the courtyard where the duel would begin, and where Shark would arrive with his cronies just a short time after. He too opted out his school attire for his regular clothes, they being a purple jacket with six aqua green diamond designs at the zipper lines (three on each side), a dark mahogany v-neck shirt, a metal shark tooth necklace, grey-black pants held up with a brown belt that had a brass buckle, and white shoes with green gems on the fronts.

"I can't believe it: You actually showed."

"You expected anything less?"

"Not really. Hope you said your goodbyes, 'cause all your cards are about to be mine."

Athena retorts back to Shark's smirk with a serious frown,

"Not gonna happen. You may have narrowly escaped in damaging one of my life tethers, but I'm not gonna allow a second pass."

The tone and words used made the cerulean-eyed boy raise a brow slightly in confusion.

 _Huh? Life tethers...?_

"The only thing happenin' today is you getting your ass owned!"

"And why's that?"

Athena readies her duel disk and calls out in reply,

"'Cause today's the day history is made! Duel Disk: Go!"

Her main disk shoots out into the air before automatically attaching to her upper arm module, folding out the card stand at ready.

"Duel Gazer: Set! Duel Interface: Show me the impossible!"

Everyone's gazers are snapped on, and the AR world jumps to life, melding over reality so that they were the only ones in focus as well as the duel.

 **Augmented Reality Vision Link established.**

Both opponents calls out confidently,

"Let's duel!"

On the sidelines behind Athena, Tiffany, she dressed today in a spaghetti-strap, knee-length white dress with light ruffling on the skirt's bottom, a light green cardigan with two pink cherry blossoms on the ends of the sleeves, and black ballet flats, cheers,

"Go, Addy!"

She sends an acknowledging nod back at her friend before focusing up front:

"Hope you're ready for defeat, Shark. Draw!"

Drawing her first card to join her hand's other five, Athena makes her first move.

"I summon, Zubaba Knight!"

A Level Three monster - their likeness to a spartan/medieval knight wearing gold armour and razor-cut blades - with 1600 Attack Points and 900 Defense Points is summoned to the field in Attack Mode.

"Zubabaaa Knight!"

"Since I went first, that's all I can do for this turn. Go ahead and make yours."

"(Chuckle) Gladly, and with it, I intend to crown that knight. It's my Draw!"

(Swipe)

"Ha! I summon forth, Big Jaws!"

His summon would be a Level Four monster - a large, blue-skinned shark with a mechanical mandible and robotic red eyes - with 1800 Attack Points and 300 Defense Points in Attack mode. Athena frowns when she sees the difference in power for both monsters:

"Shoot. Big Jaws is 1800..."

"That's right. And since Zubaba Knight is just 1600, you're in deep water. After all, when two monsters fight, the one with the least attack points is destroyed and the owner takes the difference as damage."

"Hmph, so I'm losin' 200 points this round. Big deal." Shark counters,

"Keh, still, better to play your weaker monsters in Defense Mode. Although, it really wouldn't have mattered this time, 'cause of this."

He holds up another card - a Spell - and calls out its title as it activates on the field.

"The Spell Card, Aqua Jet! Now until the end of this turn, my Big Jaws gains 1000 Attack Points!"

A set of orange boat jets attaches onto the predatory fish as its power increases to 2800 Attack Points. The duelist's tag-along friends comment,

"There it is..."

"Yep: Shark's super-spell combo!"

"Now Big Jaws, it's, feeding time! Attack!"

Shark's monster shoots into the air in a twin current of water, before diving into the ground and charging straight at Athena's, who rushes to meet in a counterattack.

"Zubabaaa Bash!"

Unfortunately, the knight's attack did little to soften the blow it would take from the fish's sharp teeth before it disintegrated into pixels, leaving the owner to gripe with a wince,

"Damn, there go those Life Points," as they drop to 2800...

"Next, I'll place a face-down card, and end my turn."

Athena mutters to herself,

"Just started this duel and I'm already teetering downward. Gotta even the score somehow..."

She draws her next card before summoning a new monster:

"I summon, Gagaga Magician!"

Level Four with 1500 Attack Points and 1000 Defense Points, this spell-caster was another average-strong choice to set in Attack Mode. Of course, Shark's response would reflect thoughts of the opposite:

"You're summoning him into Attack Mode, with just 1500 attack points? You just don't listen, do you?"

"You done using your cocky laugh?"

He frowns and faces back front to meet Athena's eyes, who smirks while holding up another card, an Equip Spell.

"Next I play, Wonder Wand!"

A mahogany-poled scepter with a green crystal ball sitting over silver appears in the magician's hand, their power rising to 2000 as the duelist adds,

"With this, Gagaga gains another 500 Attack Points! Looks more intimidating now, don't he?"

Tiffany makes a sound of excitement, and Jamal, he wearing an orange t-shirt with a black vest overtop, dark brown pants with light ripping at the ends and black converse, comments with a grin,

"Nice! Gagaga will be able to take down Big Jaws no problem now!"

"Charge on, magician! Turn that fish into sashimi!"

...But just as Athena's monster begins to attack:

"Ha, now who's acting cocky? I play my face-down!"

"Face-down?"

"That's right, _Addy._ Zuez's Breath! And I have a feeling it's gonna sting for you 'cause thanks to this Trap, I can put a stop to your monster's attack! "

An armoured, god-like figure appears on the field and holds out a golden staff to command a strong gust of watery wind forward, blowing off Gagaga Magician before continuing its trajectory against his summoner, knocking her into the air...

"And there's more: If I have a Water Monster on my field, you take 800 Points of damage! And there is a Water Monster on my field, so, prepared to be soaked, by a serious flash of damage."

A bolt of energy leaves the Trap's staff, and hits Athena square in the chest, making her 'mmph' with a grit before she landed in a backwards slide to the ground, her Life Points dropping to 2000. Taking in a few deep breaths, she grumbles to herself,

"Well that sucked...Wait...aha!"

She quickly jumps back to her feet and readies a new card:

"I place one card face-down on the field. That's it; your move."

"Fine then. My Draw!"

Shark swipes out another card before bringing forth a new beast to battle with:

"And first I summon, Skull Kraken!"

A Level Three monster with the equivalence of a flip-sided skeletal member of the octopodes with 600 Attack Points and 1600 Defense Points to the field in Attack Mode. Athena stares at it with no fear:

"600, huh? No prob: Gagaga can take him down easy."

"Not for long, he won't."

"Hm?"

Shark holds his arm out in a commanding gesture with a grin as he then announced,

"I activate Skull Kraken's Special Ability!"

The monster flips over with its tentacles in the air, and opens its mouth to emit a thick, hazy smog...

"With it, I can destroy one Face-Up Spell or Trap Card on the field, such as that Wonder Wand, for example."

The smog overtakes the Equip Spell and destroys it in a flash of purple sparks, causing the scepter in Gagaga Magician's hand to disintegrate into pixels, his Attack Points dropping back to the original 1500!

"Aw crap!"

"Oh yes: Now Gagaga Magician is back at the bottom of the food chain."

Jamal grits his teeth at the sight of Shark's two monsters and mutters,

"Damn, not good." Tiffany asks worriedly,

"Not good how?"

"Those are the same monsters he used to summon Aero Shark and annihilate me. He's obviously gonna do it again, which means Addy...she's gonna get pwned by an XYZ..."

She looks back at her other friend currently in battle and whispers her name in concern, while Shark mocked the girl with red irises with a mean smile.

"You fool. Did you really think you could beat me, the best of the best and win Jamal's deck back?"

Athena looks down at her broken pendant with a frown of frustration and her forehead dripping a bead of sweat, gripping it tight like it was a stress ball.

 _That was the plan, but I guess the universe wants a different outcome._

 _What the hell am I gonna do now?_

"Face it, Athena: I stomped your little key to pieces, and now, I'm gonna stomp you!"

She darts her head up with a hard glare, which only fuels Shark's banter:

"That's right, _Addy_ : This duel is over, and after I win your deck, I'm gonna trash it just like I trashed your key! Then maybe you'll learn your lesson: _Don't pick fights you can't win._ "

"...Funny, that's what I should be telling you."

"Huh?"

Athena forms a determined expression and alliterates,

"Don't talk to me about fighting the impossible! No matter how many times I crash and burn, I always get back on my feet to run for tomorrow. That's what it means to make your history: Never give up, block out the haters and push past your limits to leave your mark on the world! And speaking of marking my place..."

She rips off her pendant:

"That's what I'm doing now!"

(...Sheen)

"Uh?"

Athena's POV

 _What, the...?!_

Suddenly, before I could have time to process it after my little counter-speech, my pendant blinded me with a overflowing flash of golden light...!

...Once it settles, I look down in my palm and saw that my key was completely whole again, before cluing in on my new surroundings.

"Ugh, seriously?! Of all the times, my dream had to come 'round now?!"

"This, is no dream..."

I wince with shock from the mysterious deep voice of the demon door, as it asks me that same question again.

"Have you the courage to unlock this power? It is time to decide, Athena...What will it be?"

 _...You know what? Screw it: Let's get this over with._

Forming a readied expression, I puff out a breath before making a mad dash to the locked door!

"(Leap) Time to carve a new chapter!"

I punched in the key and heard a click...before I get thrown back by a new burst of blue-white light!

"Mph!"

The chains broke off, and the door rattles open, before...a figure with mismatched eyes, flies towards me from an endless spiral of rainbow light...!

I shut my eyes to brace myself for impact...but felt nothing, except a shift in the atmosphere.

 _Hm?_

I open my eyelids, and gape at the sight of a sphere of blank cards surrounding me in a black space!

 _...What the heck is this?_

I didn't have time to process this either, before the cards shot out in dozens of directions out of sight, the scene fading away back to my original position in the Station courtyard...

"O-kaaay, that felt a little too real this round..."

My suspicions would be confirmed when I look down in my palm, to see that my pendant was whole once more.

"The key...It's like it never broke at all..."

My ears then pick up on the sound of Shark gasping from...pain, and looked up to see him struggling against some other force!

"Yes, 'cause you...you're the one who's gonna break! Hah-Yaaaaaaaauuuuuuhhhhhhhh!"

 _W-What's going on? Is he trying to mess with me, or...did something else happen while, I was-_

 _"Yeees, Shark. Let the number take hooold..."_

I stiffen up on alert with a shiver, when I suddenly heard a voice deeper than the demon door's echo through the air, but it had a distant, static quality to my ears, like a radio signal being interfered with...

 _What the hell was-_

"I overlay Level 3, Big Jaws and Kraken! Now I can build the Overlay Network!"

Despite the major change I felt in this Duel's intensity, I scrambled to my feet at the ready for the monster to come out on Shark's latest draw.

"Now, Number 17: Leviathan Dragon! Be born!"

 _Did he say...number?_

 _...Uh: That's what that voice said too! Oh man, somethin' screwy's going on here!_

With wide eyes, I watch as a giant, deep purple-scaled dragon with six fishtail-like wings emerges from the summoning vortex, Rank 3 and packing a strong 2000 Attack Points!

"Where the hell did this behemoth come from...?" Jamal and Tiffany were just as floored as I was:

"Holy-I've never seen an XYZ of that variety before!"

"Neither have I...!"

"And what about that number bit: Why is that bein' announced special-like?"

Neither his nor my question would have time to be answered, when Shark began activating this new beast's power.

"Now, by removing one of my Overlay Units like my Skull Kraken, I can power up my Leviathan by 500 Attack Points."

"Come again?!"

"Leviathan: Attack with Shock-Stream Blast!"

After consuming the unit in its jaws and increasing its strength to 2500, the dragon would then unleash its fire-like electricity straight at Gagaga Magician, destroying it before I get thrown back by the aftermath of the destruction.

"Agh!"

My Life Points drop to 1000 just as Tiff calls out my name in worry, and Shark taunts,

"This duel's just about done! One more attack and you're through!"

I push myself up to a kneeling position, not feeling any actual pain from the impact (as per usual) other than some muscle stiffness, and mutter dryly with a mixed grim and wry chuckle,

"That was, one hell of a blast...So much for my comeback."

"Rise."

"Huh?"

I turn my head to the right where I heard a new voice - young male, about my age or a year ahead, and calm-toned with a bit of a wise edge - echo in, and let out a hitched breath of shock, when I saw a, being of sorts, with ice blue skin and those mismatching irises I remember from a moment ago!

"...Rise up."

"Guh! Who...W-Who the heck are you?"

 _This duel just took a major one-eighty to crazy town...!_


	2. Embarking the Path to History, Part Two

Picking up where we last left Athena, she was in the middle of a grueling duel against Shark when a handful of new factors came crashing in to intensify her situation. It started when her pendant took her back to that mysterious door plaguing her dreams for the past few weeks, and she finally decides to take the plunge and unlock it. Doing so would release an equally strange force in the form of cards, one of which seemingly taking over Athena's opponent before being summoned to the dueling field...

But the most puzzling factor of all, would definitely be the new face that appeared by the crimson-eyed girl's side.

More than likely a male based on the make of their voice, his thin body was pigmented a transparent white-blue, highlighting the intricate green markings and darker-shaded blue gems decorating his skin. His hair curled upward in a mohawk style, showing off his pointed ears pierced with long, dangling silver earrings that echoed a simpler likeness to Athena's key pendant. The most striking feature about this being would certainly be his eyes, contrasting in colour with his left one a luminous-sharp gold, and the right a translucent silver-white.

Once Athena's shock wore off, she frowned and rose to her feet while saying to the being,

"Hey! I heard you speak, so I know you can understand me. Do me the courtesy of answering my question, would ya?"

He peers his eyes in her direction while turning his head slightly and replies,

"...Astral."

"Astral?...Is that who you are or what you are?"

"It is my name, if I recall."

That answer just served to confuse Athena even more:

"Recall? Does that mean you're an, amnesiac or something?"

Her investigation would be interrupted by Tiffany and Jamal, who were puzzled by their friend's pause in the duel.

"What's going on, Addy?"

"Yeah, what's with the slowdown, and who are you talking to?"

She would glance over at them with a raised brow, before pointing to where 'Astral' was.

"Who am I talking to? Don't tell me you two can't see this guy on my right."

"What? There's, no one there..."

Athena tries to keep her cool, but still groans a little and pinches the bridge of her nose before calling,

"Look, I'm not trying to screw with ya, Tiff: There's a, being or whatever floating right here beside me!"

The other girl and Jamal start whispering among themselves, becoming concerned for their friend's sanity.

"...Is it possible she could be cracking under pressure?"

"Maybe, and yet, something in me's saying we should believe her..."

Meanwhile, Athena peers up at Astral before scanning around the area, noticing there wasn't any signs of cause for alarm...and concludes,

"Okay, seeing as no one else is panicking, I must be the only one who can see him...Either that, or I hit my head too hard from the crash."

"If that were possible, you more than likely would not be standing right now."

She shoots the glowing male a glare...before forming wide eyes when she begins to wonder,

"...Oh crap, don't tell me you're one of those guardian angels! If you are, you're a few years late."

Tiffany and Jamal exclaim,

"A what?!"

Meanwhile, Astral kept calm, if a bit upfront:

"I, am no such thing."

Athena relaxes, until the being wonders in a mutter,

"Or am I?"

"Huh?...Soooo, you know your name, but not what you are?"

"Not only do I not recall who I am...but I do not recall much of anything. Only that I arrived here with a 'great purpose', which now escapes me..."

The girl with long, plaited black hair tipped copper-red was beginning to get annoyed by this point.

"It, escapes you? Really? That's the story you're going with? (Slaps her forehead) God, what a time for things to make a U-Turn!"

After let out a growl of frustration into her palm, Athena then mutters,

"Alright: To hell with this nonsense. For all I know, he could just be a figment of my imagination that will go away on its own."

Hearing her, Astral asks a bit cluelessly,

"Go where?"

"Does it look like I give a damn where?!"

Tiffany's next shout would bring us all back to the real matter at hand:

"Focus, Addy! Focus on the duel!"

"...Right. Almost forgot why I was here; thanks, Tiff!"

Shaking her head, Athena turns to face the front, glancing once at Astral before deciding,

 _Okay, Addy: Now's not the time to play 'Memory Recovery' with this...whatever he is._

 _I need to get back on the duel, and figure out how to tangle with this 'Number Card'._

 _Since it's graced the field, Shark's been acting like even more of a creep than usual..._

Speaking of Shark, we check in with him as he praises the power of his new monster:

"Ah. The mighty Number 17: Leviathan Dragon. With this XYZ Monster on the field, _there's no stopping me..._ "

We see his pupils cloud over in a poisonous purple, matching one of the hues in the aura wrapped around his form (the other magenta red), and that the back of his right hand was branded with the said duel monster's numeral!

"And _that_ you can count on, Athena, (chuckle)! Your deck will soon be mine!"

He sets down a new card:

"But all in good time. I end my turn with a Face-down!" Astral comments on Shark's behaviour:

"He is angry." Athena glances at him and replies dryly,

"I'd call it dangerously-motivated, if anything...which he has merit to given that this new dragon's gonna waste me and end this duel unless I can pull out a new strategy."

One of her words strikes a chord in the transparent being:

"Duel? That word is...familiar..."

That in turn caused Athena to raise a brow:

"You, have got to be kidding. What could you possibly know about Dueling?!"

"Plenty...Yes, that's it: I duel."

"Riiiight, and I have dreams of becoming a ballerina."

Hearing only one side of the conversation, Tiffany and Jamal mutter together with chagrins,

"Addy's goin' off the deep end again."

Nevertheless, Astral insists his knowledge of the popular game:

"I can duel! Observe...(Extends arm) Draw!"

"Oi! Who has the duel disk here?! My turn: I Draw!"

Both parties look at Athena's latest card along with the rest of her hand, before Astral announces,

"First, I will summon Gogogo Golem in Defense Mode." Athena barks back,

"Knock it off, would ya?! I summon Gogogo Golem in Attack Mode."

The monster to emerge onto the field would be Level Four with 1800 Attack Points and 1500 Defense Points.

"1800 Attack Points? That's not enough to defeat that dragon."

"I'm well-aware of the point difference, stranger. I'm not done yet. Next I play the Spell, Blustering Winds! With this, one monster on my side of the field in Attack Mode gains 1000 more Attack Points until my next turn."

The card's effect activates, and a spherical vortex of wind gusts engulf the stone giant before they grow as large as Leviathan, their strength rising to 2800 Attack Points.

"Great boost, Addy! You've got 'im now!"

"You bet I do, Tiff! Now go, Gogogo Golem: Attack Leviathan Dragon!"

Said monster rushes forward and socks a fist against the other, the impact creating an explosion and forcing Shark to flinch back as his Life Points drop to 3700. Athena felt proud of herself for her latest move:

"Ha! Guess that dragon was all talk and no bite! Gogogo took it down no probs, and the result made a good cut at Shark's Life Points!"

"Turn around."

"Huh?"

She does as Astral advises, and her eyes bulge out when she sees the dragon's form still intact through the dissipating smoke!

"What?!"

Tiffany and Jamal were just as flabbergasted and mad:

"Hey! Addy just defeated that thing! How could it still be on the field?!"

"I know: Usually the monster with higher Attack Points comes on top while the other is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard. What's the deal?"

Athena calls over to Shark to get some answers:

"Oi, Shark: Why's your monster still around? I took it down fair and square!"

"'Fraid not: A Number Monster, can only be beat by another Number Monster!"

"...Seriously? Damn, talk about a disadvantage: I don't have even one Number Monster to combat with."

Jamal was having similar thoughts:

"Crud! That means that dragon's gonna be stickin' around 'til the end of the duel, assuming Addy lasts that long..."

Gritting her teeth, Athena mutters to herself,

"This is a bunch of crap: How the hell am I gonna destroy Shark's Number Monster if I don't have one myself?"

"How indeed...and you had better start figuring that out."

She glances up at Astral, who adds,

"Because Shark looks ready to attack."

Athena's POV

 _God, it's moments like these that make me hate Sundays..._

 _This all started because I was crazy enough to unlock that demonic door, and what has it brought me?_

 _Total chaos, that's what. Way'da go, Addy..._

"Shark is gearing up to attack. Better do something, or you are through."

I shoot a glare at Astral, as he 'remembers' calling himself (a small part of me is almost wondering if he could be punking me), and ask him,

"Since when is an amnesiac a dueling expert? Are you sure you don't just have short-term memory loss?"

"Observation Number One: This particular human's dueling skills are less than skillful."

 _Why you-!_

I get in his face, my red eyes meeting his mismatched gold and white, before retorting back heatedly,

"Excuse you, but we can't all be born dueling prodigies! (...Sweatdrop) Wow, déjà vu; I just had this conversation with Tiffany a few days ago..."

"Then you should be quite aware of your inexperience."

"Whatever, man. Your opinion, not mine!"

"It's my turn now, isn't it? I Draw!"

I cut my focus back on the duel, as Shark brings out a new monster for me to deal with.

"I summon, Drill Barnacle!"

It was a Level Three Monster that looked like an octopus trapped under a rock of barnacle, sitting on the field with a mere 300 Attack Points.

 _Huh. He's goin' with a weaker choice this time...Must have an ability that makes up for its power._

I wasn't the only one postulating these thoughts:

"300 Attack Points. You are lucky."

"If by that, you mean I might be able to narrowly avoid total defeat, then yes, that's one thing I can agree with you on."

Shark then calls his next move:

"I activate Leviathan Dragon's ability: By using an Overlay Unit, I can power up Leviathan's strength!"

And much to my minor horror, that beast's Attack Points rose up to 3000!

 _Crap...!_

"Since Shark's monster had one last Overlay Unit remaining, it was obvious what he would do, just as it is obvious what he will do now."

 _I don't need to ask him what, 'cause I already know..._

"It's time, Leviathan Dragon: Attack Gogogo Golem!"

My golem is annihilated with one shot straight through its torso, and I note through the impact of the explosion my new drop.

"800 Life Points left...and it's only gonna drop further in a second..."

 _Still, I'll give Astral a bit of credit for his right-of-it luck comment..._

"I'm not finished yet, Athena! Drill Barnacle: Dig in!"

The barnacles on his other monster form into fast-spinning drills, before it came lunging and grinding its drill bits into me for a direct attack, making me yelp in surprise before falling in a slide backwards to the ground!

I curse to myself as my Life Points fall to 500, and I hear Tiff call me with worry before Astral comments smartly,

"For your information, your golem has an ability that when put in Defense Mode prevents it from being destroyed. Now do you understand, why I suggested you should bring him out in Defense Mode? You're not very good at this."

"Damn it, shut up, would you?!"

He then becomes preoccupied by his own body, which I now notice was beginning to, fade in and out...

 _Hm? What's wrong with him now?_

"Oh my. What's this? My Life Force seems to be draining away..."

While he went into a moment of thought, I suddenly wondered based on his timing and where I was regarding my duel,

 _Is it, possible...that his 'existence', depends on how much Life Points I have in a duel?_

"...Numbers."

"Hm? Wait...do you know something more about these Number Cards?"

"They're the key: The key to unlocking my sealed memory. You see, Numbers are special cards. Even among XYZ Monsters, they cannot be defeated like regular cards. And in a duel, where Number Cards are used, the winner absorbs the loser's Number Cards."

"...There's something else."

Astral looks down at me in confusion, and while I dunno what compelled me to...I felt like I had to tell him about that distorted voice I heard before Leviathan Dragon was summoned.

"Before Shark summoned the Number, I, remember that he made an outcry of pain, like something was attacking him from the inside...When my eyes focused on his form, I then heard, a voice."

"A voice?"

"Yeah, and a really scary one too, like a demon or something just as nasty. It was, telling Shark to allow the Number to take over him...At least I think that's what it said: It was a bit staticy and a little hard to hear, like a bad radio signal...which, has me wondering if maybe I wasn't suppose to hear it..."

"Hm...That is an interesting bit of information..."

Shaking my head, I then ask,

"But nevermind that for a second: What exactly are you trying to tell me about these cards?"

"I don't know for sure...All I do know is that you must win, otherwise I will meet a very bad end."

 _Huh, trying a guilt-trip, are we?_

Eyeing him funny, I focus down on my hand to figure out my next move:

 _Let's see...Currently, I don't have much that I can use for a counterattack, so for now, I'll just have to pray that I can do another narrow dodge from defeat from Shark's monsters._

Just as I decide on such, said 'Water Monster Deck Menace' calls out,

"While you think things over, I activate Drill Barnacle's effect: Because it was able to deal damage to you, it now gains 1000 Attack Points!"

I watch as the monster grows in size in accordance to its rise of power to 1300 Attack Points, making my situation all the more dire.

"But just wait, Athena, there's more: Drill Barnacle's a monster that can attack you directly, which means on my next turn, if that attack connects, you're through!"

Cursing under my breath, I complain to myself,

"Damn, it just had to be a direct-attacker, didn't it? What now?...Hang on: My face-down hasn't been activated yet."

I hold up my duel disk closer so I could use the touch screen and check the card.

"Now what was it I threw down?"

The card shows itself to me, and Astral, who was also watching says,

"You played Bye-Bye Damage, and had you activated it earlier, you would've dealt damage to Shark, and Gogogo Golem would not have been destroyed."

"I hardly think this is the time for a lecture, especially since your blabbing distracted me from remembering the card in time!"

"Speaking of, how 'bout you zip it and duel!"

I whirl around in Shark's direction and call back heatedly,

"You're the one who should zip it and mind their own business!"

"And what exactly am I minding?"

"At this point, I won't be surprised if it's an invisible spirit from beyond the grave comin' to haunt me!"

"You know what's gonna be invisible, as in vanished? _Your Life Points._ "

Looking down at my Life Gauge, I grumble to myself,

"Talking ahead of himself again..."

"But not for long."

I turn to Astral as he then adds in a more stern manner,

"Unless, you start listening to me for some dueling advice, Athena. Not later...Now."

"You could at least be more polite about it."

"Stop making dumb mistakes, please."

"Ugh, dude, just 'cause you add a 'please', doesn't make what you said any less rude!"

Ignoring my anger, Astral then explains,

"On your next draw, we need a card that allows you to summon more than once this turn."

"More than once, huh?"

"Yes. In other words, one that Special-Summons a monster."

Sighing deeply through my nose, I blurt,

"Fine! I'll see what I can do...Okay: For the sake of mine and Jamal's decks if nothing else, I Draw!"

...And much to my surprise, I come out lucky and drew out Monster Reborn!

 _Yes!_

But some of my excitement would be deflated by the following comment:

"Monster Reborn. It seems that fate has come through for me this time."

"Again, who has the duel disk here?!" Moving on, I then make my first move in my latest turn:

"I summon Gonbara Knight in Attack Mode!"

As my monster takes to the field, Jamal calls over in disbelief,

"Addy! Why'd you summon Gonbara in Attack Mode when it has like, zero points to dish out?!"

Keeping a level head, I call back,

"I know what I'm doing, Jamal!"

But Shark decided on another opportunity to mock me again:

"Just give up, Athena: You can't win!"

"You still on that? Look, like I said already, if I listen to every person who told me to give up, I wouldn't be where I am today! I still have alot of history to carve out!"

Astral asks me,

"Carve your history? I was not aware one could do such..."

His curiousity almost made me smile, even despite how annoying he's been, so I explain,

"Well, I mean it more in the metaphoric sense: To carve your history means you're willing to move forward no matter what others may say, predict, whatever. It's all about what you do, your experience, what you choose to make of the world. In this case, I'm gonna meet the mark of writing my victory in this duel."

Obviously, Shark would have a different opinion, but I suspect his aggravation was being amplified by another source.

"You're wrong. The only thing you'll be meeting with, is the bitter taste of disappointment, and do you know why? Because I have two monsters and you have one, with zero Attack Points."

 _Tch, creep..._

"It's fine."

"Hm?" I look up at Astral, as he tells me,

"It's good that Gonbara's on offense. It gives us the chance to turn things around...perhaps."

 _Per-haps?! He's kidding, right?_

"Quick: Bring back Gagaga Magician with Monster Reborn."

I make a move to protest his directing, but he beats me to the punch a bit more desperately,

"There's no time to argue. Just trust me, please!"

 _Uuuh...You know what, what the heck? Least he's being less rude this time..._

Nodding, I grab the Spell Card and activate it:

"From my hand, I activate Monster Reborn! Using it, I bring back Gagaga Magician from the Graveyard!"

"So what? His 1500 Attack Points are nothing to me."

I growl a little at Shark for his arrogance, before my ears catch Astral muttering,

"At last, the stage is set."

"(Turn) For wha-Hang on...Gagaga and Gonbara, are Level Four..."

Seeing the realization spreading over my face, his lips curl into a tiny half-smile as he then says to me,

"Look at your deck, Athena."

I do so, and pull a new card that wasn't in my extra deck before:

"Uh! An XYZ Monster...! (Squints eyes) But, I can't read the text; it's too foreign..."

"I can. It's Number 39: Utopia."

My eyes go wide from the card's title:

"...This is another one of those Number Cards..."

"Yes it is, and now it belongs to you, Athena."

Grinning slightly, I exclaim,

"No way the gate's in my way this time! I overlay Level Four Gagaga Magician and Gobara Knight, to summon an XYZ Monster!"

Astral's voice joins mine as we announced the monster's title:

"Rise on up, Number 39: Utopia!"

And the monster that would arrive on the field, had a likeness to a golden/white-armoured warrior angel, their numeral symbol on its left shoulder, and packed a whopping 2500 Attack points!

I (and to a lesser extent, Astral) don't hesitate whatsoever in unleashing their strength against one of Shark's monsters.

"Time to take out Shark's monster, Utopia: Attack Drill Barnacle! Go, Rising Sun Slash!"

The octo-barnacle beast stood no chance and was cut right down the middle by Utopia's blade, while Shark was thrown backwards by the explosion's impact as his Life Points sunk to 2500. Smirking in excitement, I jeer,

"Yeah! How do you like them apples?"

"Grh, how dare you...!"

Astral notes,

"Our job isn't finished yet. Now to introduce Utopia to Leviathan Dragon."

I nod in agreement, as I pick up on Jamal and Tiffany's comments about my new ally on the duel field.

"Another one?!"

"Where did that one come from? I don't remember Addy ever having such a powerful card..."

"Me neither...This is so crazy..." I finish up my round for the time being:

"Alright, Shark, that's all for now. I end my turn."

...I gotta say, as I relaxed back into my regular position, I was feeling pretty damn good about myself for finally achieving an XYZ Summon in a duel. I allowed a tiny-bit-bigger-than-small smile to grace my lips as I took a breath into my lungs while shutting my eyes for this moment...

 _...Okay, moment over._

My face formed back its straight serious expression, as I took note of the remaining opposition of power.

 _Drill Barnacle was an easy target, but Leviathan won't be. It's got a good 500 over Utopia..._

 _What to do, what to do..._

"My turn: I Draw! From my hand, I activate the Spell Card, Surface, and since I did, a Water Monster surfaces from my Graveyard. Welcome back, Big Jaws!"

 _He summoned it in Defense Mode...What's he up to now?_

I'd get my answer quick enough:

"But he won't be back for long. I now release him and Tribute Summon, Jawsman!"

This next beast to invade (Level 6) was definitely an ugly one, black-purple skin and crawling with razor-sharp teethed mouths all over his body, sitting at a strong 2600 Attack Points and 1600 Defense Points. Shark's chuckle was a sign that there was more to the monster than its raw strength:

"Now Jawsman gets 300 Attack Points for every other Water Monster on my field. I have one, Leviathan Dragon, so Jawsman powers up to 2900 Attack Points. Now to put them to use! Leviathan Dragon: Attack Utopia!"

Grimacing at the sight of the dragon gaining altitude to dive back down, I whirl to Astral and ask,

"Please tell me Utopia has a way to counter that?!"

"Yes: If you use Utopia's Overlay Unit, Utopia can put a stop to Leviathan's attack."

"Got it."

I face back up front and do just that:

"I activate Utopia's ability, and use one Overlay Unit to negate Leviathan Dragon's attack!"

One such unit shoots into my monster's chest just as the dragon unleashes its ultimate attack, before Utopia uses its wings to deflect and cancel the power!

"Go, Lightwing Shield!"

Shark didn't seem overly concerned that his attack failed him:

"So, you bought yourself some time. But that time will eventually run out: Your monster's not strong enough to beat mine!"

 _Fair point...He makes a fair point..._

"And you have only one Overlay Unit left to protect yourself with, so when it's gone, your Life Points will be gone too...And it looks like this'll happen sooner than later, 'cause you're gonna have to use it up right now to protect yourself from Jawsman, or Utopia's fish-food!"

 _Hmm, maybe...or maybe-_

A new idea springs to me as Astral urges,

"What are you waiting for, Athena? Use Utopia's ability!"

A small, mischievous smirk spreads onto my face as I reply,

"We~ll, I could do that...or, I could do this: I play the Trap, Bye-Bye Damage! Which means my monster dodges destruction for another turn!"

Astral was obviously not impressed with my alternate strategy:

"I told you to use Utopia's ability!"

"Keh, teenagers like me never do what they're told: It's all about rebellion and the unexpected!"

Both Shark and I are then thrown back by a static of energy thanks to the other part of my Trap, but I held onto my smirk as I add on,

"True, while I do take the damage this time, you're the one who's gettin' the double whammy!"

"What?!"

1700 Life Points would be his new reading, while I barely held on with 100...

No POV

As Athena began to pick herself up from the ground after being thrown back by Bye-Bye Damage's effect, Shark lets out a laugh and says to her,

"Thanks for playing that Trap, _Addy_...because now I can play my Trap, Booming Urchin!"

An army of sea mines with eyes zap into view on the dueling field...

"And it really does pack a punch 'cause come my turn, you'll be blasted with 1000 points of damage, and I'll win this!"

Jamal lets out a noise of disappointment in the new turn and grumbles,

"Crud...just when Addy was making a comeback..."

Tiffany whimpers Athena's name with worry as Shark punctuates,

"You're deck is mine! Face it, Athena: You have lost!"

But the girl with crimson orbs refused to give up:

"Not yet...not while I've got a spider's thread to hang onto! This next draw will decide it: Win or Lose!"

(Swipe)

She pulls forth a new card from her deck, and peers down at it...before forming a grin.

"Ha! Yes! (Looks up) Make the charge, Utopia, straight at Leviathan Dragon!"

Astral exclaims,

"Oh my," while Tiffany and Jamal wonder with disbelief,

"What is she doing?!"

"Addy, are you nuts?!"

"My next play, is using Utopia's ability to negate that attack!"

The monster's glowing blade disintegrates, before Shark asks with a taunting smile,

"You're a duel fool: Why would you negate an attack you just ordered?!"

"This is why: I now play from my hand, the Spell Card Double or Nothing!"

"Where are you goin' with this? Huh? Aaah!"

Athena answers the now nervous Shark with a smirk of anticipation locked on her monster.

"Oh it's not me goin' places: It's Utopia, since he now gets to attack again with double the Attack Points after being stopped before."

Utopia pulls out two enormous-bladed swords this time as his strength jumps to the cerulean-irised boy's shock,

"Uh! 5000 Attack Points?!"

"Go, Utopia: Attack Leviathan with Rising Sun Slash!"

And one twin-cut down the middle was all it took for Leviathan Dragon to be destroyed in a mass cluster of pixels, which continued trajectory through the ground straight for Shark, he thrown back to the tune of his outcry and the final drop to 0 Life Points!

As the AR announces Athena the Winner, she mutters to herself while absentmindedly pulling off her duel gazer,

"...Did I really, just pull out a win?"

Jamal and Tiffany were just as shocked as she:

"...She won?"

"She did..."

...Once the surprise wore off, they all broke into celebratory cheers, Athena's being the strongest.

"Yes, ha! I did it; I beat Shark!"

As said losing duelist laid semi-conscious on the ground, his soon-to-be former lackeys grumble to themselves,

"Shark lost to that nobody?"

"(Both) Let's ditch this dork!"

At the same time they bolted from the courtyard area, Astral then holds a hand...to summon out the Number from Shark, a card shape floating out of the latter's torso as the back of his hand loses the numeral symbol. Taking Leviathan Dragon into his hand, Astral concludes to himself,

"Yes. It is as I thought: This Number Card represents a piece of my memory...but just a small piece."

The card evaporates, more than likely to be stored away in the unsuspecting Athena's deck...

 _For all of my memory to return, I must collect all 99 Number Cards._

As Astral ponders over his new situation with wide eyes, Athena and her friends continue to celebrate her victory as the AR World leaves their eyes.

"That was so awesome, Addy!"

"Told you I could do it!"

"Finally, you get a win after all the loses and ties! About time, too!"

Shark was beginning to wake into reality by this point, if still in some disbelief as he pulled off his gazer.

"I can't believe it...I lost...!"

He turns to look over at Athena, remembering the stakes of this battle...Meanwhile, she takes hold of her pendant with a faraway, ghost of a smile, sending through her mind,

 _Mom...Dad...thanks again, for having my back._

(Step, step)

"(Looks up) Hm? Uh, Shark..." He presents Jamal's cards to her:

"We, had a deal..."

"(Takes deck) Thank you...and thank you for keeping your word. (Wry smile) Finally letting your pride deflate, hm?"

"Hmph, somethin' like that...You're a good duelist...I'll see you around."

As Shark turns and leaves, Athena calls to him,

"Right, see you...and hey, let's get together again and duel for the real joy of it, without the dumb antes! If you wanna be remembered in a good light, you gotta build some pages that'll balance the rough end of your history."

"You may have a point...Til then, Addy."

As the duelist left for elsewhere, Astral then inquires Athena,

"You felt the path to your new chapter during that last draw. That's why you risked everything...yes?"

"Uh, yeah, somewhat...and I, also might've wanted to give you a little scare. (Smirk) And I so did; you should've seen your expression! It was priceless!"

As the red-eyed girl lets out a laugh of amusement, the blue-skinned being then says,

"I have a feeling this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship if...you do as I say."

One can only imagine how many pairs of eyebrows would raise in the passing crowds as Athena exclaims for the whole city to hear,

"Do as you say?! In another lifetime, you jerk!"

If only she knew, her new adventure had just begun...


	3. What is Perfect?, Part One

(Ping-ping-ping-ping-ping-ping...)

It's been at least a few hours after the duel between Athena and Shark ended, which also gave the jump-start to a whole new adventure/problem for the red-eyed teen to deal with, and our viewpoint shifts to the inside of a greatly-spacious computer lab. Sitting in the chair set up in the middle-front close to the largest monitor, was an unknown male figure who was creating a piece of software, but not one that would benefit mankind...

(Click)

Once it was complete, a cluster of pixels over a background of zeros and ones forms into a creature resembling a humanoid bomb with the tenacity of a child, known in the Duel Monster World as Crashbug.

 **"Bug? Crashbug? (Readies some bombs) Crashbug!"**

The unknown male chuckles in anticipation for his programming success, and we see that on the side of his neck, was a glowing numeral 34, indicating that he too had become a subject for the newly-risen Number Cards.

" _Time to go viral._ "

He gives the green light to his virus software, and on the screen, the Crashbug avatar begins the charge into the cyber-verse, along with hundreds upon hundreds of fellow clones. It would spread chaos all over Heartland City, such as messing with the change in the traffic lights, sending vehicles into a mass slowdown and near-miss crashes, and even reconfigured the programming of the LitterBots to be less than helpful.

"(Eyes flash) Re-initializing..."

In which case, the robots would mistake their objective in what to collect in terms of trash, inconveniencing many passers on the streets, including Athena's Grandfather!

"Hm? Something wro-Gyah!"

He was lifted off the ground by one set of mechanical arms (joining two other poor souls in the area), and shouts in an aggravated tone,

"What is this insanity?! Release me at once, you mecha-holligan!"

...And where was Athena during all of this? Well, she has just left from the courtyard of the monorail station to begin her trek home, too distracted with the blue-skinned being who was still tailing her to be aware of the new technical crisis on the rise.

"For the love of humanity, didn't I tell you to get lost, Astral?!"

He replies in a calm if somewhat perplexed tone,

"You did, but I don't understand what you mean by that: How can one consciously get lost? If I go somewhere, I will know where I am."

Facepalming, Athena replies in with irritation,

"Don't take it so literally; it's just a turn of phrase, meaning 'Take a hike', 'Leave'. Borderline, go bug someone else!"

"I can't until you gather the Numbers."

She stops and whirls in Astral's direction before shouting,

"And why exactly do I have to get involved?! This sounds more like a 'you' problem, not a 'me' problem!..."

While she continued to argue with the being, Jamal says to Tiffany, who had paused in their walk none too far behind Athena,

"Okay, we've seen Addy act out of sorts before, but nothin' like this..."

"Yeah...I'm almost wondering if maybe there is an invisible duelist tailing her..."

We pick back up on said aggravated girl's conversation, she replying in a fed-up tone,

"That's a real lame-ass move, trying to use another guilt-trip! Ugh, you know what? Screw it; I don't wanna exhaust myself with this stupidity..."

With that, she begins stomping forward again, leaving her friends to mutter with sweatdrops,

"But on the other hand..."

"Well, least she ain't yelling at us..."

Meanwhile, Astral makes another note about his new surroundings and the people who occupy it, mostly based off of Athena's behaviour.

"Observation Number Two: When asked to do something, humans behave erratically."

She whirls around and barks,

"Oh-hoh, trust me, this isn't even close to erratic for me! And I have probable cause to be erratic too, as you so eloquently put it!"

Just before the half-heated topic could be exhausted any further:

(BOOM)

"Waaagh!"

There came a small explosion from Athena's backyard, followed by the sound of a young man crying out in surprise! She knew instantly what the source was:

"Oh great, not again...Terry!"

Zooming in on the rear of the household's outside, we see a young man in his early twenties, tall with vaguely-tanned skin, a five o'clock shadow matching the shade of his short, copper-red hair styled into a short, messy asymmetrical cut, gray eyes and wearing an outfit of a black t-shirt under a pair of scuffed-up, jean coveralls with brown work boots.

He was currently coughing against a small snake of smoke billowing out of a large machine engine he was working on, it previously having a laptop plugged into it for a more technical part of the fixing he was doing, until it too was swallowed by the Crashbug virus that was launched. Now it was sparking up electricity and getting close to catching on fire, much to the young man's horror.

"Aw, son of a-(cough, hack)!"

By this time, the three young teens had rushed through the house to see what was going on, Athena leading the charge.

"Terry, you okay, bro?!"

"I'm fine, (cough), but some kind-a bug or whatever fried my computer and spiked my engine!"

"Uh, least you're still alive, right...?"

Terry starts to grab his hair in a panic, shoving back the protective goggles he was wearing.

"My clients are expecting this done by tomorrow...!" Athena whispers to her friends,

"Mount-Terrence is about to blow..." Tiffany finishes,

"Which means this is our cue to vacate the premises."

But only she and Jamal would escape the sights of the gray-eyed male, while his sister was caught like a deer in the headlights.

"Hold it right there, little rebel: I've got a job for you!"

Small Time Skip, Athena's POV

 _Damn it, one problem after another today..._

Unfortunately, I've yet to come up with a way to dodge my older brother Terry when it comes to his 'job runs'. Every time he's busy with one of his mechanic projects and his grease-buddies or Adam isn't around to lend a hand, I'm the one who gets roped into his ridiculous errands to find spare parts he needs to replace...Of course, thanks to his streak of explosions in the backyard of some failed trial and error tinkering, it's also become a regular routine to pick up some new soil for the craters he creates in the ground, today being one of those days.

I'm now back in the downtown area with the old wagon to use for hauling the junk home, along with a written list of specific parts Terry wants me to replace, cash attached. None of the mild preparedness prevents me from complaining to myself and my friends, who were kind enough to lend me a hand.

"Agh, this is turning into one hell of a Sunday! I keep telling Terry to stop sending me on these errands unless he gives me good directions on where to find those stupid spare parts because he knows I suck at IDing the right stores, and what does he not do?"

Tiffany and Jamal reply in monotonic unison,

"Give you the directions?"

"Exactly! It's gonna take me hours before I find everything...except for the new soil. (Glances at Tiffany) That I can get at your grandma's gardening store."

Sighing through my nose, I change my focus from my petty grumbling to our surroundings, noticing that traffic was still in a standstill.

"But my barking aside, when the hell are the lights gonna change? It's been fifteen minutes, and everyone's still playing the loser end of Freeze Tag."

Jamal replies,

"Yeah, I was seein' that too...And look, (points upward) even the monorail's not moving."

Tiffany mutters with narrowed eyes,

"There's something wrong here. Maybe a power hiccup?"

My attention then turns to the vending machine on my right, and I see that it was shooting out juices in a free-for-all!

"Whoa! Check this out: Free juice!"

"Wait a second! Addy, those haven't been paid for!"

"Relax, Tiff: I'm just gonna make sure they don't go rollin' into the streets!"

(Grasp)

"Hm? Whoa, hey!"

Next thing I knew, I was lifted into the air by a LitterBot, who was obviously a bit looser in the gears than usual!

"Addy!"

Luckily, I was able to twist myself around to prevent the bucket of bolts from dumping me inside itself like a piece of garbage...by, landing a swift kick in its head.

"Hiya!"

(CLANG)

"Error, error! Malfunction!"

It was taken by enough surprise that it released me, forcing me to land on the pavement on my back with a thump.  
Jamal and Tiffany rush to help me to my feet:

"Nice move!" "Are you okay?"

"Yeah yeah, I'm fi-...Hang on..."

I switched around my response, because while I stopped the robot, it wasn't down for the count yet. Using its skinny arms, it pushes itself back onto its wheeled feet, sending a robotic glare with gleaming red eyes from its newly-dented dome chrome.

 _Uh-oooh..._

"Uuh, Jamal? Ya mind, grabbin' one end of the wagon while I get the other?"

"Huh? Why?"

I point forward to the aggravated hunk of metal, and my friends cringe with fear as I add,

"'Cause we're gonna hafta up our speed for the next, oh I dunno, fifteen, twenty minutes to outrun that!?"

And just as the LitterBot begins to charge at us, we all scramble to it and began running for our lives, Jamal taking the rear of the wagon and myself the front with both hands to sprint while carrying!

...And come close to the first time crunch guess, we would all be bending over to gulp in some well-needed air on the sidewalk in front of the local automatic car-wash, finally losing the crazy robot...I hope.

"Hah, hah, hah, did we, lose it?" Jamal replies to Tiffany,

"I, hah, think so...Must've gotten distracted by that mailbox we passed."

As I straightened up again, Astral comments near my side,

"Perhaps that kick you used was a bit too offensive a measure to take..." I reply sarcastically,

"Yeah, so I noticed, smart-guy...Hm?"

That's when my ears picked up on the sound of the jet washers in the car-wash humming a bit weirdly, like something was clogged...I look over, and one of the garage-wide doors jumped up open, before a worker came running out while shielding a lady with a towel from a hydro blast of water!

"Aaah!"

"Head down, head down!"

 _What the hell?_

As soon as they were away from there and near the three (or if I count Astral, four) of us, Tiffany asks him,

"What's going on, sir?"

"I'm not sure myself, but something's making our systems go haywire! It's too dangerous to stay inside!...Auh, look out!"

There then came a huge flood of water from the one wash area, and while the worker and customer were able to escape it...my friends and I weren't.

"Yaaah!" "Agh!" "Whaaah!"

(SPLASH...)

...We got swept with the artificial tide all the way to the other side of the road where the fencing for one of the parks began, me flat on my back and hacking up a bit of water from my lungs, which left an aftertaste of soap in my mouth. Astral came to hover over my head and asks with a trace of concern,

"Are you alright?"

"(Cough) Been worse, still alive."

I sit up at the same time Jamal does while brushing back his drenched dreadlocks, and Tiffany pushes herself to her knees while flipping her own hair back into its regular position, all three of us soaked to the bone.

"(Cough, cough) Damn...you guys okay?"

"I'm, (cough) okay..."

I give my guy-friend the thumbs-up with a slightly-grimaced smile, and we both move to stand up first...only to end up ducking again.

"Gah! Heads up!" "Whoa!"

(Sploosh)

What were we dodging this round? Oh...not much, just a glob of hot wax!?

Luckily, we were fast enough in our duck that it only hits some of the fence and the pole of a streetlight, leaving a quick-hardening statue of a mid-air splatter...

"...Geez, that was close!"

"Yeah, no kidding: Three seconds late and we would've gotten burned!"

 _Okay, screw the errands: It's way too dangerous to be wandering the city right now! I'm heading back home!_

Small Time Skip

The sunset would come burning into the atmosphere by the time I got home, and while Terry wasn't overly impressed that I failed in my job, he, along with Adam and Grandpa, were just relieved that my friends and I got back to our houses safe.

So after I got changed into some drier clothes and toweled off from that unexpected tidal wave, I came back down to eat dinner just as the news reporter was finishing her story on the incident going on all over the city on the TV, it along with every other piece of tech finally working normal again.

 _"Alyssa Brianna filed this report regarding the sweeping problem regarding..."_

(Click)

"That's enough of that. I don't wanna hear another word about other people experiencing malfunctions of lesser importance than mine!"

"Calm down, bro: It's not like your clients were unreasonable when you called to ask for a time extension."

We were all sitting at the kitchen table to eat the food Grandpa prepared for the evening, that being a fish, rice bowls and vegetable stir-fry this round. I clap my hands together and chime,

"Thanks for making dinner, Gramps; looks good!"

"Of course, dear, and Adam's right, Terrence: It's better to be grateful."

Terry looks up briefly from his position of a face-plant on the table with an exhausted glare cast to my other brother, who just wore a calm smile.

Now, out of the two of them, Adam definitely got more of dad's looks, his skin of similar shade to mine, black hair in the style of a tamed mullet (like dad when he was a teen), and grey eyes with flakes of green (I think one of our great-great grandpas on dad's side had the green flaking in the irises too). In terms of personalities, both of my brothers have a mix of our parent's traits of daring and serious, though Terry tends to try and act more business-like in his work as a mechanic (which extends from vehicles to other more blunt-type technology), while Adam's more mellow and down-to-earth these days, his day job being in woodwork and the occasional university professor's aid.

Anyway, my brother who got a bold mix of mom's genes with dad's eyes goes back to grumbling to himself over his mishap in the backyard earlier.

"(Muffled) Why, whyyy did it have to be today that my laptop betrays me and trashed my project?!"

"Speaking of trash, before I nearly drowned at the kooky car-wash, one of the LitterBots tried to scoop me into their compartment...until I, kicked it back and it chased me and my friends to another end of town before it got distracted by a mailbox."

Grandfather chimes in response to my add-on in my tale,

"What a coincidence: Something similar happened to me!"

That caught Terry's attention from his drama:

"Wait, back up, what?"

I grabbed my chopsticks as I gave a quick summary of everything else I saw that was going on throughout the city today.

"The whole downtown was on the fritz: Traffic lights were doin' squat, leavin' the roads lookin' like a massive parking lot, vending machines were shooting out their products, LitterBots mistaking people for trash, and even places like the old car-wash were having meltdowns."

Adam then adds his own little incident:

"Yeah, the guys and I down at the woodwork station had to evacuate outside because the sawdust vacuum decided to do an extreme reverse, shooting its contents all over the place. And don't even get me started on the other power-tools...We're all gonna meet early to try and do a mass salvage clean-up, assuming there's anything left..."

Grandfather remarks,

"That would explain why you came home looking like you went into war with a pencil sharpener (We all laughed at that thought)...Anyway, the radio said everything should be working properly by now."

Terry then asks with a suspecting frown,

"So hang on: Does that mean my computer wasn't the only one that crashed?"

I answer with a raised brow,

"Uh, probably not."

"...Something's fishy about this." Adam jokes,

"But I thought you liked fish."

"Not the food, doofus: I mean this whole sitch with the electronics!"

Terry bounces up to a stand and adds in a more fired-up tone,

"I gotta replenish my energy and head over to Yoko's: She might know something!"

 _Yoko? Oh, right, his on-again, off-again girlfriend who works for one of the news bulletins..._

 _Hey, wait!_

"Auh, dude, that's my fish!"

But surprise surprise, my dear mechanic brother has deaf ears to my complaint and devours the seafood until there was only the head and tail held my the bone, before he rushes out the house to Yoko's.

"I'll be back in a couple hours; don't wait up!"

Once he was gone, I let out a groan directed at the ceiling before snagging the fish on his plate that he was somehow blind to and start eating that, letting its taste calm my frustrations...

Oh yeah, one other thing I meant to mention: Astral was still here, and hovering behind my chair. How did I know this?

"So this is how these humans replenish their energy..."

That's how.

"...And you park your vehicles on something called a 'drive-way', yet you drive them on something called a 'park-way'..."

These observations and questions just kept coming and coming, even while I was (cough) 'doing my business' in the bathroom, which thankfully I managed to keep him out of, barely. I did my best to be patient with him, keeping in mind that he was obviously not from around here on top of being an amnesiac, I really did, but you try keeping a cool head in my shoes and see how easy it is!

I call from inside the bathroom,

"This is hardly the time for your drivel, so can you at least shut it until I'm out?!"

"I am only seeking to better understand your behaviour."

Letting out an aggravated breath melding with a groan, I call back with a bite of sarcasm,

"Yeah, I'm catchin' onto that...but it's not a good idea to disturb a human while they're in the bathroom, 'ridding used-up energies'. I don't really wanna go into details why; it's just one of those unspoken, professional courtesies we follow automatically...if that makes sense..."

"Interesting. Observation Number Three: After replenishing their energy, humans retire to what is known as a 'bathroom' to remove previously used-up sources. Furthermore, they follow this pre-programmed message to not disturb one another while one is in said room out of courtesy."

 _(Sigh) Close enough..._

As I get up and move to the sink to wash my hands (flushing beforehand, of course), I then hear Astral ask,

"One more thing: You seem to be a complex and functional being. So then, why is it that you malfunction when it comes time to duel?"

I freeze my scrubbing, and ask back with a bit of edge creeping into my tone,

"And just what, precisely, are you implying?"

"Your dueling is broken and erroneous."

...

...I felt something in me snap when he used that one word, the one that I never want to hear from anybody, not after the hell I've been through for close to two years.

 _Oh, Hell No!_

Barely biting back a pissed growl, I dry my hands in a haste before slamming my way out into the hall, whirling around to meet Astral's with a glare that must've looked really dangerous for he flinched back in a flash of fear. I then spit out in an even, angry tone,

"Let's get one thing straight: Never, ever, use the term Broken around me! You have absolutely no idea how hard I've worked to pull myself back up to where I am today! The hell I've been through since-rgh!...S-Since..."

Approaching me a bit cautiously, Astral asks,

"Since, when?"

Despite my motivation...I couldn't bring myself to finish, a part of my heart still hurting a little to speak casually about the past, especially to someone I've barely met. So instead, I unclench my fists at my sides with a deep breath and mutter bitterly,

"Never you mind...Look, humans aren't built to be perfect. We're unique in our failures and accomplishments. It's as simple as that."

"I do not understand that. Failure is not an option for me."

"You sure about that?"

His mismatching irises widen slightly at my next question, and a grim smile graces my lips as I muse,

"'Cause you're sure failing at facing failure with a brave heart. From what you're saying, you quiver at the mere thought of being imperfect...But being perfect's boring, pointless."

I start heading off towards my room as I add,

"What makes humans so complex as you so put it, is that we use our failures to achieve greater things, find a way to come back from the worst of times...even if they're not quite the same as before..."

 _Although...sometimes I wonder if I've really fully come back from, back then._

Small Time Skip, Astral's POV

 _Using one's failures to achieve? That sounds incredibly contradictory..._

 _And the way she reacted to the word 'Broken': She took it as if it were the worst possible insult._

 _...What is she not saying?_

I am now inside the section of this home called a 'bedroom', watching the human Athena resting in said object the room is named after, her body covered up by material save her upper torso and head, eyes shut while the rest of her face reflected a more settled and peaceful expression, contrasting the rather abrupt behaviour she displays when awake. My thoughts then began to drift to other matters regarding my presence in this world and why Athena is connected with it.

 _I cannot shake the thought, that I was sent to this world on an important mission._

 _Perhaps in order to fulfill that mission, I was suppose to take over Athena's body, but something went wrong, and my essence was shattered into ninety-nine pieces, ninety-nine 'Number Cards'._

 _If I have the power to take control of these humans, it stands to reason that each card containing a piece of me would have that power as well._

 _The Number 17 seemed to be taking control of that boy they called Shark..._

I then recall what Athena said regarding a voice she heard when focusing her vision on the possessed boy, one that she felt she wasn't suppose to hear...making me wonder if my hypothesis about possessing her may be mistaken in some form. Giving the matter a second thought, it did seem a bit farfetched...though I knew not why.

 _Why would taking over Athena be a part of that mission?_

 _...More importantly...what went wrong?_

I then focused my vision on the strange pendant around her neck and over the covers of the bed, which she told me (if in a reluctant and annoyed tone) had responsibility to what brought about the events...My hand found itself reaching to touch the surface, and the next thing I knew, I was, drawn into a new space inside the pendant!

"(Blink) Uh! What happened?...Where, am I?"

Time Skip, No POV

"Mmm...m-mm."

Come the next morning, early enough that the sun was just beginning to rise, Athena would rise to a sitting position in her bed, only to see no signs of Astral's presence near.

"Hm? Weird...Wonder where he went? (Shrug) Oh well, guess he decided to finally take a hike."

Brushing off the strangeness, she gets on with her usual morning routine, from eating a hearty breakfast to her early morning jog around the city, before meeting up with her friend Jamal on her way to the Dueling Academy for a new day of learning, stopping in the girl's bathroom to quickly change into her uniform and not attend first class in her leggings and sports top...

She was now sitting between him and Tiffany at their shared desk around the middle left of the classroom for Math, their teacher going by the title Mister Kay. He was a man around his late twenties, averagely tall with pale-tan skin, muted-aqua green eyes behind a pair of skinny rectangle glasses, thickly-framed in plain brown save the top, burgundy-brown hair styled in a professionally-curtained look, and wore a casual suit of a pink-washed white shirt, navy blue tie, a gray vest bringing out his slate-brown pants, and black shoes.

Though it would seem that the events regarding the technical chaos have left more of an aftermath than expected, as evident by the red Error screens on the student's duel disks and the classroom's holographic projector...

"So I know today we were going to discuss the quadratic equation, and I know you were all looking forward to that. But unfortunately, due to yesterday's system hiccup, our servers are offline. Extra credit for anyone who can find the source of that problem..."

Though most of the class held amused smiles on that last blurb, one boy would take that offer seriously and eagerly, they being a pale-complexioned young boy with bright blue hair styled in a bowl-cut, pear green eyes and wearing the first-year school uniform with his shirt tucked in.

"Uh, Mister Kay? I can take this one!"

He starts his way to the front, despite the teacher quirking,

"You know, I was being sarcastic, right, Caswell?"

Nevertheless, he allows his student, identified as Caswell, to present his findings.

"Ahem, okay: Pay attention, simpletons, 'cause some of this might go over your heads. Yesterday's incident was a result of a virus placed in the city's grid computer by a hacker. But, in the end, by pinging several results-"

"Uh, if I could stop you right there, Cas?"

The boy stops mid-sentence with wide eyes at the interruption, conveyed by noneother than Athena, who stood up with a partially-apologetic but more so casual smirk on her face.

"It's not that you aren't doin' a bang-up job up there, but starting your speech off by using words to make yourself sound like a big-shot genius and the rest of us like elementary kids isn't a good way to get your point across. If anything, it makes you sound arrogant or you're talking through your hat."

Everyone in the room gasps, and the girl with long, black hair tipped copper-red shrugs and says,

"Hey, I'm just bein' honest. Anyway, if you really do know something about the wackiness from yesterday, maybe you should save your explanation for the police and not for school."

With that, Athena sat back down, and the class broke into a series of murmuring, while Mister Kay tried to move everyone onto a different course of action.

"Ahem. Um, anyway, today will be a free period until we can get our systems working properly..."

Meanwhile, Caswell was quietly fuming over being interrupted by the girl with red eyes.

"That uppity, upstart stole my spotlight...That does it!"

He then points a finger in Athena's direction and calls out,

"Athena! I challenge you to a duel, here and now!"

Surprised at first, she accepts the challenge wholeheartedly:

"Uh...(Smirk) Alright, if that's what you want. Mister Kay did say this was a free period after all. Get ready for the duel of your life!"

She then breaks out her duel disk and gazer at the ready for the battle to begin:

"Duel Disk: Go! Duel Gazer: Set! Duel Interface: Show me the impossible!"

 **Augmented Reality Vision Link Established.**

"(Both duelists) Let's do this!"

Tiffany calls from her place beside Jamal at one side of the classroom (the middle left open for the dueling field),

"Show 'im what you're made of, Addy!" Caswell in turn inquires,

"What are you made of, Athena? I heard you beat Shark the other day."

"Then you heard right, 'cause he and I did go toe-to-toe in a duel, and I came up on top."

"I don't believe you. Everyone knows that Shark is the best duelist around, while your reputation is being a borderline roughneck."

Athena frowns slightly at the description, but chooses not to dignify a response, while Jamal and Tiffany back her up on yesterday's events.

"Believe it, Cas, 'cause it's true!"

"The two of us were there and witnessed the duel from start to finish."

A small grin curls onto Caswell's face:

"Then according to the laws of transcendent property..." Athena raises a brow:

"Transcendent Property? Translation please."

"Beating you would mean in the end, I'm the best duelist in school."

She found his statement rather flawed:

"Is that really the kind of logic you follow in life, Caswell? If so, you're destined for alot of disappointment in the future...But anyway, today's not gonna provide a new win for you as long as I have-huh?"

But when she looks back into her extra deck holder to pull out her Number Card, she found it wasn't there!

 _What the-Where did Utopia go?!_

 _Unless...did Astral take it when he disappeared? Ugh, that little-_

"What's the matter? Are you feeling the pressure already?"

Athena focuses back to reality at Caswell's address and first draw, before retorting back,

"Tch, as if! I thrive under pressure!"

 _Okay, so I have to duel without it. Big whoop. What's the worst that could happen?_

...Ten minutes later:

 _I've really gotta stop asking those kind of questions beforehand..._

"I summon, Crashbug X! Now zap her Life Points!"

(Bzzzt)

"Ah!"

(Wham, slide...)

Now, we won't say it was one of her most poorly-executed duels, but we will say that for her opponent, it was one of his quicker wins, using very few monsters to combat against hers and beat her with 3000 Life Points still in his gauge.

Jamal hangs his head with a groan of exasperation while muttering,

"Well that was a bit painful to watch," and Tiffany adds with a chagrin,

"Ah-heh, actually, I can name a few other duels that were worse than this one..."

Caswell felt pretty smug in his victory:

"Ha! I bested you in only a few short moves! You never had a chance! In the end, there was no way an intellectually-challenged amateur could defeat a brilliant strategist such as myself!"

Lifting herself to a stand, Athena shoots an icy glare at him and barks,

"(Growl) I dare you to say that again, smart-mouth!"

"There's no need to boast, Caswell."

"Huh?" "Uh?"

Luckily, before another kind of fight could break loose, Mister Kay steps in to remedy the colliding emotions with a calm tone and a wise smile.

"Dueling is actually alot like Life: Sometimes things go as planned. Other times, we make mistakes and get frustrated. When that happens..."

He borrows Caswell's Crashbug card to use as a visual aid:

"You just have to feed your frustrations to Crashbug. You guys know the legend behind Crashbug, right? Crashbug's this little electrical spirit, and he likes zap things called 'bugs'. Bugs are the those little feelings that get in our way: Frustration, Doubt. Give those feelings to Crashbug and you'll succeed."

While most of the class felt moved by their teacher's little speech, Caswell was skeptical of the legend's merit.

"That's ridiculous, Mister Kay! Crashbug doesn't actually exist!"

"(Smile) Of course it exists. I've seen it."

That left the boy with the bowl-cut gaping, while the other male turns his eyes to Athena.

"So what if you lost, Athena? The trick is to not let the frustrations get to you. Learn from your mistakes and keep moving forward. Keep challenging yourself."

A small smile of gratitude forms on the girl with red orbs as she replies softly,

"...You have no idea how much it means to me to hear those words, sir. I know very few adults who have such beliefs, and I feel like I'm still in...recovery from a particularly low point in my life. To hear someone older and wiser believe in using the bad to etch out a path to the good...it gives me hope for leaving my mark."

Mister Kay's eyes widen slightly in surprise, as do numerous other eyes in the class, for this was the first in a long while that Athena's ever been this bluntly honest about herself to the outside world...

Time Skip

"Gotta say, Math Class was actually pretty enlightening...for once."

We catch up with Athena and Tiffany after school, wandering down one street with plans to get fruit smoothies from a local stand, while Jamal left on his scooter for home due to a massive chore-list he was given by his parents. Along the way, the girls were conversing about their day, specifically, their math teacher and the Crashbug Legend.

"Well, as my mom always says, you can learn all kinds of things in any environment."

"Right she is, too: What Mister Kay said really made my day. He's definitely one of the cooler teachers we have at the Academy, always comin' in prepared with lessons that make sense and won't hesitate to lend a hand when one of us is stumped...Unlike Missus Sena who teaches English; I swear that woman's gonna be replaced by a LitterBot before we understand what she's talking about."

Tiffany laughs slightly before chiding,

"Come on, Addy, she's not that bad. She just needs to work on organizing better...By the way, was the bluntness against Caswell really necessary?"

"Oh here we go again. Look, Tiff, you of all people should know my policy about arrogance and showing off: It's okay to be a bit cocky, but not so much that it belittles others. That's a good way to make enemies."

(Beep, beep)

It was on that note that they were interrupted by the sound of a car horn, belonging to an older model, small-sized red truck with two white stripes running down the hood. It swerves slightly in its next sharp turn around the corner the girls were walking to, stopping in front of them near the sidewalk. The window rolls down, revealing the face of Athena's older brother, Terry, now wearing a white, v-neck t-shirt under a dark grey, zipper-down sweatshirt jacket, black jeans and dark blue sneakers.

"Yo, lil sis."

"Terry? What's up?"

"You and Tiffany interested in riding for a while?"

Though somewhat suspicious of the offer, Athena and Tiffany nod, and hop into the backseats of the truck...Soon, all three were rolling down the highway as Terry reveals some new information he learned regrading the virus crisis.

"So according to Yoko, it turns out yesterday's incident only spread to a few remote servers...Which was a good thing too."

"Why's that?"

"Because if it went any further than that, all of Heartland would've gone back to the dark ages."

Athena was taken aback by such a description:

"(Low whistle) That bad, huh?"

"That bad and beyond. Nevermind what you two, Jamal, Adam and Gramps experienced for a second: Bank data would be wiped out, leaving people worse than broke, and Hospitals would've lost medical records, not to mention the ability to help the sick and injured. It'd be the new definition of disaster!"

While the copper red-tipped girl sucks some air between her teeth, Tiffany remarks to herself with a worry brow,

"I don't even wanna think about mom's possible reaction if that happened. She comes home exhausted enough from her shifts at the hospital...Did Yoko say anything about who the culprit was?"

"That's what we spent last night combing about for on her laptop. It took us 'til midnight, but we narrowed down the virus's starting point to be a server from your school library."

"What?!" "Get out...!"

Come another ten minutes later, the truck would be parked in front of the Heartland Dueling Academy, with the girls standing close to the entrance steps listening to Terry's next instructions.

"Okay. So I gotta head back to Yoko's and pick her up to do some more recon at home. Meanwhile, I want you two to stakeout the library incase our mystery hacker comes creepin' 'round that area again."

"A stakeout? So cool!"

But while Tiffany felt excited about the new objective, Athena wasn't as amused about being pulled into another brother-sister favour.

"You're seriously draggin' me into another one of your ridiculous jobs? (Knowing smirk) Are things getting that rocky between you and Yoko again that you're becoming desperate for a quick fixer? I think it might be time to part as friends once and for all, bro."

"Watch it, half-pint. Not that it's any of your business, but me and Yoko are doin' fine. You just stay focused on your objective for this afternoon, and I'll be focused on mine."

"Which iiiis?"

Terry punches a fist into his other open palm and exclaims,

"What do ya think? Trackin' that prankster down and making him pay for forcing me to delay my big project!"

With that, the grey-eyed redhead takes off in a screech of four wheels...Half an hour later, we zoom inside the large Academy library between the bookcases near the computer labs where Athena and Tiffany were prowling at for any signs of the anonymous hacker.

"(Whisper) So, what exactly was Terry's latest mechanical project this time?"

"(Whisper) Ice cream."

"(Hiss) Be serious...!"

"(Hiss) I am! Some new confections company called him a week ago and asked if he could join on a group project to create a new freezer that uses liquid nitrogen as a cold agent."

While Tiffany was all in with the sleuthing, Athena wasn't really interested, sitting down with her arms crossed as opposed to the former who was peering behind the shelf corner on her feet.

"Addy, we're suppose to keep watch."

"I highly doubt the hacker's gonna be stupid enough to do the same thing twice from the same location. That's just dumb!"

Small Time Skip

And come close to sunset, we'd find both girls sitting on the floor behind the bookshelf, having seen nothing to report to Terry regarding the hacker. As Athena yawns behind her hand, Tiffany notes the time on her duel gazer:

"Shoot, 5:41. We're heading into closing time..."

"See, what'd I tell you? Not every criminal is lame enough to repeat their moves. That's an easy way to leave a trail of candy wrappers for the cops, (smirk) which as a daughter of one, I would think you'd know."

Tiffany shoots Athena a half-smirk of irritation, but then shushes her and points towards the computer desks when she spots something.

"(Whisper) Addy, over there!"

"Hm?"

The girl with red eyes peers over the head of the one with irises of blue, and spots a familiar face tiptoeing into view...

"(Mumble) Caswell?"

"(Whisper) Yeah, and he's acting stranger than usual..."

Athena starts to quietly steal her way over to where Caswell sat, much to her friend's hissed protest.

"Hey, Addy!"

Tiffany's attention then focuses back on the boy with the bowl-cut, as he pulls out a red USB Drive from his pocket.

 _Huh? Where'd he get that flash-drive from?_

He plugs it into the port of the computer he was working on...and wound up launching a new wave of the Crashbug Virus, much to his surprise!

"Uah-aaah! But, I-I didn't mean to launch anything!"

(Grasp)

"Aah!"

"Caught red-handed, Cas! Now explain why you did it, or we can take you to the police and let them handle the interrogation!"

Caswell shakes Athena's hands off his shoulders and quickly heads onto the computer while insisting,

"Unhand me! I'm not behind this; I'm being used!"

Athena wasn't fully convinced he was merely a tool in the real mastermind's plans.

"You're seriously gonna try and lie your way out, even after I saw you plug that drive in?!...Uh, are you even listening; what are you doing?"

"I'm tracking the source of the root kit. If I can pinpoint the place where this machine was just accessed from, then we'll know where the criminal is and-Diuh! This is not good! Look, in the end, I found an encrypted data packet that led me to believe I could access a file on this computer that could tell me who the criminal is, but it turns out the file was some sort of detonator for a computer virus that's now...Wait! I'm onto something!"

After some feverish typing and hacking of his own, Caswell narrows down the last IP Address of the original Crashbug Virus launch.

"There's the location!"

...Tiffany looks over at Athena with a pointed, knowing expression, and the latter lets out a groan before saying to Caswell,

"Fine, you convinced me, smartypants!...So, guess we're heading out."

 _God, I'm not gonna get much sleep tonight, am I?_

Once it was copied onto a map, the three decide to work together to find the real hacker and clear Caswell's accidental wrongdoing before anyone finds out...but not without letting Terry and Yoko know via Duel Gazer about the new development.

"What?!" "Your classmate triggered a countdown?!"

Athena blurbs back through her gazer to her brother's,

"We sent you the access stuff. See if you guys can at least slow it down! We're on our way to the sneak's hideout as we speak!"

Terry felt a bit nervous for his younger sibling's safety:

"But it could be dangerous!"

"No worries, bro, I'll be fine! Always have, always will!"

With that, she hangs up, leaving the redheaded male to run a hand through his locks while sighing into his other palm. Beside him at his room's desk was a young woman with shoulder-length, wavy bubblegum-pink hair, pale-complexion with freckling on her nose, bright green eyes and wearing an outfit consisting of a dark blue sleeveless dress that ran to her knees with a black dress vest overtop, and white, short-heeled pumps. She places a hand on Terry's shoulder with a reassuring smile:

"Don't worry, Ter. I doubt she and her friends won't be back okay...She's a tough girl, your sister."

"Yeah, I know...It's just been a little hard, watching her act so differently than she used to when she was a kid..."

 _It's like, I'm losing my sister, but I know that's not true..._

 _She's just growing up at a pace no one expected._

Getting back to the girl in question, she, Tiffany and Caswell eventually found their way in another section of downtown, where a large, skinny hourglass-designed tower was going in the city's latest construction project.

"That tower under construction! The hacker should be in there!"

They sneak inside through a side entrance and start combing around for the room where the anonymous cyber criminal would be...

"You sure you didn't copy the directions wrong, Cas?"

"In the end, when have I ever wrote something wrong?"

"Guys, now's not the time for another deb-"

(Clank)

Before Tiffany could finish her sentence, the doorway the three entered through closes automatically on them...!

"...You finally put the pieces together. It took you alot longer than I thought it would."

They look up, and see sitting in a pillared chair much to Athena's shock,

"Mister Kay! But, why are-Wait...(Glare) No. Don't tell me you're-!"

His sardonic smile and closed-mouth chuckle gave her the answer she needed, but Caswell felt the need to announce it verbally.

"You get it, then? In the end, Mister Kay is the criminal mastermind behind the malicious virus!"

The room jolts to life, the screens displaying a timer for half an hour as said accused replies,

"That's one way of putting it."

"But, after all that you said...Mister Kay, how could you do this?!" He replies to Athena,

"Someone like you could never understand." Caswell says to him through gritted teeth,

"I have to say, sir, this is disappointing."

"Well I'm sorry to disappoint you, Caswell, especially since I'm so proud of you for following my clues. I wanted you all to be here when the virus went, well... _viral_."

"Are you saying you led us here on purpose?!"

Tossing aside his glasses, Mister Kay lets out a crazed laugh while tugging at his collar...which would expose the glowing mark reading 34 to Athena's eyes!

"A Number!"

Astral's POV

It has been roughly a day since I accidentally summoned myself inside Athena's key, and I found myself wandering about a strange new space, which housed a massive machine of similar material made up from a series of gears and other machine parts...

"Observation Number Four: This world, like Athena, is a complex machine...but not as callous. It is complicated in design, like a, puzzle..."

Just as I made such a note, I felt something happening outside this realm, also indicated by a red flash from one of the gears.

"Uh! What is that? It feels like a Number..."

 _...Perhaps Athena has found another human with one._

I materialize out of the pendant just as she mutters while looking up at an unknown man,

"Damn, this isn't good at all..."

"That human bears the mark of a Number."

"Guh! You again?! Wait a second...don't tell me you were, inside my pendant this whole time!"

I was a bit surprised of her correct guess, but answered accordingly:

"Yes, I was."

"Uuuh...(Shakes head) Nope, not the time; not even gonna ask. I've got a crisis to deal with, anyway."

Athena then focuses on the man up high:

"Mister Kay, this has to be some sort of mistake: You can't seriously be someone who enjoys doing something this crazy!"

"This is my personal challenge to myself. (Chair lowers) Like you, always trying to leave your mark on the world."

"You and I have very different definitions then: I want to lay down a mark that'll do good for the world, not one regarded for causing harm and chaos!"

I could see that this conversation would merely continue on back and forth, so I decided to provide another route to reason.

"Athena, you must Duel this man."

"(Turn) Huh? Duel him?"

"One of the Numbers has consumed his spirit. The only way to reason with him, is to break the Number's hold."

She looks at me incredulously, but then nods in a serious manner and makes the call towards the man.

"I challenge you to a Duel! If I win and you lose, you have to shut the virus down!"

"You want to Duel me?! Well I am more than happy to agree to your conditions, Athena, but but why do you think you can defeat me? Well?"

"Because tonight's a new night to make history! Let's get it on! Duel Disk: Go! Duel Gazer: Spring to life!"

 **Duel Interface: Set. Augmented Reality Vision Link Established.**

"(Both duelists) Let's Duel!"

Athena's companion, Tiffany, seemed positive for her victory, while the boy joining them this evening was rather nervous.

"You can do it, Addy!"

"Athena has to win, otherwise everyone will think I'm some kind of criminal...!"

 _Criminal?...Just what exactly did I miss while I was inside the pendant?_

I snap out of my thoughts come the man's first draw:

"I believe the first move is mine. I Draw! I place a monster face-down in Defense Mode!"

Athena curses to herself at the play:

"Damn...There's no way to know for sure if attacking or not attacking's a good idea..."

"Why not take the risk and find out?"

"Hmph, if you insist, Mister Kay. Fine; I Draw! First, I summon Gagaga Magician in Attack Mode!"

The magician shows himself to the field, and Athena takes a moment to second guess.

"Now let's see...Should I...yeah, you know what? Let's give it a shot! Gagaga Magician: Attack Mister Kay!"

 _Though the odds are technically fifty-fifty...that might not have been the best move._

And right I was:

"Crashbug X: Show yourself!"

The opponent's monster appears face-up, and is shown to have 2000 Defense Points, 500 higher than Gagaga Magician. In that event, while neither monster was destroyed, Crashbug would be the victor, and Athena would take 500 points of damage.

(Bzzzt)

"Rgh! Crud, so much for that..."

Tiffany was confused by the actions at first, until the boy beside her explained the rules regarding the scenario just witnessed.  
Just as he finishes, the man makes his second move:

"It's my turn now: I Draw! First I summon, Crashbug Y!"

His next monster was summoned in Attack Mode, Level Three and with 1400 Attack Points contrasting 1600 Defense Points.

"And with that, I activate the Crashbug Road Spell Card from my hand. Now, we each choose a Level Four or below monster on our fields, then we each summon a monster from our hands that has the same level as the monster we chose. I choose, Crashbug Z!"

Yet another Crashbug monster is summoned to the field, Level Three but with 0 Attack Points.  
It would then be Athena's turn to summon a new monster:

"Okay, seeing that Gagaga's the only monster I can use in terms of the spell, I need another monster that's Level Four...Aha! Perfect: Gogogo Golem's comin' next!"

"I would highly advise summoning that Golem in Defense Mode, since it has an ability that prevents it from being destroyed in battle."

Despite how right I was, Athena was continuing to be stubborn in following my advice.

"(Growl) If I wanted to listen to a being imitating a ghost, I'd ask Ben Tennyson for help!...Besides, sometimes Offense works as a good Defense."

(Note: _Man of Action Studios_ and _Cartoon Network Studios_ claim ownership and rights over all references to _Ben 10_.)

 _That's assuming one knows how to use such a strategy properly..._

"I summon Gogogo Golem in Attack Mode! Don't think he'll be goin' down easy either with those 1800 Attack Points!"

"I'm afraid this is what we call a teachable moment, Athena."

"What?"

"You've set me up for a perfect victory! I overlay Crashbug X, Y and Z! With these three monsters, I build the Overlay Network!"

I mutter,

"Here comes the Number," while Athena notes,

"An XYZ Summon with three monsters..." The man finishes the summoning while jeering,

"That's right! Prepare to meet your defeat! Here comes Number 34: Terrorbyte!"

Level Three with 0 Attack Points but 2900 Defense Points, it was a smart move to summon it in Defense Mode...My ears then catch the description the boy beside Tiffany makes in terms of the Number's appearance.

"It appears to be a data-chip capable of taking the form of a member of the rinoceronte family! But, what's the significance of the number?"

I focus back on Athena as she then says,

"Wait...I wonder..."

She reaches into her extra deck and was surprised to find,

"Auh! Utopia and Leviathan are here? But, they weren't before...Unless...maybe it's because, (turns to myself) you're back."

 _Hm, interesting: It is only when I am present in this world, that the Number Cards are available to her..._

We both focus back up front as our opponent continues on with his turn:

"I activate Terrorbyte's special ability! Like a denominator absorbs a numerator in a perfect fractional ratio, by using one Overlay Unit, I can take control of one of your monsters!"

The monster he chose, was Gogogo Golem!

"Your Gogogo Golem is mine!"

"Auh! Not cool, sir!"

"Now, Gogogo Golem: Attack Athena!"

One punch is all it takes to eliminate Gagaga Magician, along with another 300 points from Athena's Life Gauge.

"Dammit!...Now what?"

 _A good question._

Terry's POV

While my little sister and her friends were busy tracking the hacker's whereabouts, Yoko and I tag-teamed on my computer to crack the access codes and counter-hack our way into the virus...

"Ha! Finally!"

"We cracked through the viral firewall! Now we just need to find the deactivation code..."

(Ping)

"Hm?"

Unfortunately, getting inside was only half the battle...

"Looks like we've got a labyrinth to solve first. Dang, I hate labyrinths!"

"And the clock's still runnin'...We better get started!"

 _Let's hope two minds can best a cyber one..._

No POV

As Terry and Yoko begin their next part in the hunt for the virus shutdown, we turn back to the duel in the tower as Mister Kay decides to belittle Athena even further.

"You'll never defeat me, Athena. Your dueling is too imperfect."

"So what? My mom always said that it's the flaws that make us who we are, not acting like do-no-wrong robots."

"Perfection is everything. I teach Math because it's the pursuit of absolute perfection! The only reason your Mother said that is so you wouldn't feel like a failure."

Athena felt a slight ache of pressure in her chest from those words, and formed a grim, depressed smile while muttering with a hand over her torso,

"It's always the grownups who don't know how to skip a beat...Still, to hear something like that from a teacher, a person who's suppose to encourage growth of the body and mind...kind-a hurts."

Astral hovers closer to her and asks,

"Tell me where it hurts."

"...It hurts, in my heart."

"Observation Number Five: Words can hurt a human's heart...I will remember that."

Athena takes a deep breath in and out, and forms a determined frown while saying more strongly,

"I can't allow his, or any other negative words get to me. I need to try and block it out, stay brave. (Mumble) Otherwise all I've worked passed...will have been for naught..."

"...Um, Addy?"

She turns to Caswell's direction, as he suddenly breaks into a random explanation about his signature phrase.

"You know how I'm always saying 'In the end'? Well, it's interesting, because the phrase 'In the end' is actually abut starting conditions. Something that is so in the end, was that way from the beginning. It was inevitable..."

Tiffany facepalms with a sigh just as Athena interrupts Caswell with an exasperated yet slightly wry smirk.

"This, isn't really a good time for your long-winded lectures, Cas! Why are you choosing now of all times, anyway?"

Mister Kay provides his own answer:

"Caswell is simply trying to explain that in the end, you're going to lose this duel, and I'm going to infect the entire city's control system, and that's been the case since the very beginning!"


	4. What is Perfect?, Part Two

It's been a little more than ten minutes since the countdown for the second wave of the Crashbug Virus began, and in order to stop it, Athena had challenged Mister Kay, who was responsible for creating the said malicious software partially thanks to the influences of the Number Card possessing him, to a Duel...

However, so far the battle was teetering towards her opponent's victory, especially since his summoning of Number 34: Terrorbyte, a monster capable of controlling others on the opposite side of the field.

Current Life Points stood at Athena, 3200, and Mister Kay, 4000.

"Your defeat is coming, Athena. I can assure you! But for now I place one card face-down and end my turn."

With that done, Gogogo Golem is released from Terrorbyte's control and reappears back on Athena's side of the field, much to her partial relief.

"Whew, least the mind control's not permanent...Okay, Addy, dig deep, dig deep..."

 **Attention: Viral Release will occur in approximately twenty minutes.**

"Alright, that, I don't need to know! (Grumble) Stupid computers..."

Just as she finishes complaining to the surrounding monitors displaying the dropping clocks, Astral holds out a hand at the ready.

"It is my turn."

"Ugh, how many times do we need to have this conversation?! I got the duel disk and cards, not you, Astral!"

Meanwhile, Caswell was starting to question Athena's condition, and felt he should ask Tiffany about it.

"Addy keeps yelling and screaming at someone who clearly isn't there, and I mean aside from the voice of the computers. In the end, should we be concerned about her?"

"Nah, she's fine; don't worry, Caswell. (Sad smile) This isn't time Addy's been out of sorts, but it's never stopped her from reaching her goals before...Honestly, I prefer this weird behaviour as opposed to the moods she used to be in."

"You mean, back when she didn't, attend school as often...because of those bad teenagers?"

Tiffany's smile went into small frown:

"Yeah...and anytime she did make it to school, she looked like the walking dead, and acted as if the world had every intent to kill her...But, those days are behind her. Addy's a better her than she was back then."

She then eyes Caswell with a serious and stern expression:

"Which is why I would appreciate it if you didn't continue to use her fading reputation as if that's the only way to describe her."

"Uh...(Nod) Okay, I promise. Never again. I'm sorry if it came off that way too."

"Good...Just remember to apologize to Athena once she wins this duel."

Speaking of, we get back to the battle as the girl with red irises makes her next move:

"It's not over yet! My Draw!"

Yet she had not even a few seconds to look at all of her current hand before Astral opens his mouth again, much to her annoyance.

"I suggest that you summon Gonbara Knight."

"And I suggest you back off and find someone else to duel!"

"A Number Card is on the line here, Athena. If don't get that Number Card...I may fade away."

"That so? Tuh, in that case, maybe I should just flop this duel and let nature take its course."

Despite how harsh the reply initially sounded, somehow, Astral knew Athena didn't truly mean it, and merely kept up his insistence on his presence being a good thing for her.

"You need me here, Athena. You cannot duel without me. You are not good enough."

However, in Athena's eyes, he was becoming something she felt she didn't need: A reminder of her personal struggles.

"Rgh, dammit, don't you think I've heard enough of that from other people, that I'm not good enough, that I'm no more than a damaged liability that causes trouble for everyone else and wouldn't be missed if I was gone?!"

She then widens her eyes and slaps a hand over her mouth when she realizes what she just revealed to the outside world...The room went dead silent save the beeping of the many computer monitors, as Tiffany whispers Athena's name with surprise and worry, Caswell gaped a little, and even the possessed Mister Kay paused in his place, not a one of them expecting such a enraged outburst from the red-eyed teen...

Astral was just as shocked:

"...Athena, I-"

"Stop."

She looks up at him with an expression mixed with anger and one emotion that the blue-skinned being couldn't identify, like a part of her was in a tug of war to scream something she longed to tell someone, but was afraid to.

"I don't want to hear another word out of you for the rest of this duel, and that includes any other strategy advice you feel like you need to fling at me."

"Why would you disregard my valuable advice?"

Athena doesn't reply to the question, instead adding in a calmer yet partially dead tone while stepping a bit forward,

"Short version, you say left, I go right. And since you're thinking Gonbara Knight, I'm gonna summon Achacha Archer!"

On that note, the next monster to grace her side of field would be a Level Three archer dressed in wood and metal armour with flame designs on his joint guards, his Attack Points reading at 1200.

Astral mutters,

"...Bad move," while Athena calls out the attack:

"Fire at will, Achacha, straight at Mister Kay!"

 _"Achacha!"_

The flamed arrow flies and skewers through the man's torso, taking out 500 of his Life Points and dropping the total to 3500!

"Ha! Got 'im; direct damage!"

"Perhaps, but you missed out."

That wipes the bout of excitement off of Athena's face, as she looks over at Astral confused, until he explains a different approach she could've taken.

"If you had summoned Gonbara Knight as I advised you to, you would have been able to combine it with your Golem, and XYZ summoned Utopia."

"(Wince) Ooooo, right...But hey, that'd be too obvious a move! This one leaves the opponent guessing in suspense for the next one!"

Speaking of opponents, Mister Kay felt something stir in him from that direct attack:

" _You're messing with my perfection_...But fortunately, I've got a Trap: Damage Vaccine Omega-Max!"

The face-down on his side flips up, before flashing in activation, sending a large sprinkle of multi-coloured lights to drop over his body...

"And thanks to this card, I can use it to regain all the Life Points I just lost."

"What?! Oh come on, how could my attack be turned that pointless so fast?!"

"In a way, this entire duel is pointless, my dear girl. Someone like you can never beat someone like me!"

While Astral eyed Mister Kay with a calculating stare, Caswell began to fear for the worst much to Tiffany's worry/annoyance.

"Gaaah, I can see my future now: They're gonna think I was a part of this and throw me in jail for liiife! I'm never gonna be valedictorian and I'm never gonna get a job and Addy's running out of time, and that means...I'm running out of time!"

(...Slap)

"Guh!"

"Pull yourself together, Caswell! Panicking isn't going to solve our current situation!"

 _We can only rely on Addy wining this duel and Terry and Yoko finding a way to put the crack-down on the virus..._

 _I hope those two are doing better than we are._

Terry's POV

 _Thank god I used to be a savant at the old MPORPG games..._

I decided to take front seat for this part of the hacking since Yoko can't stand anything relating to mazes (Corn Maze incident back in high-school; long story), and after a feverish ten minutes, I was making headway to the end of the road, as noted by she.

"I think we're getting close to finding the deactivation code..."

"Yeah, I see it too...Just you wait, virus: You're going down!"

Astral's POV

Shortly after witnessing Tiffany backhand the boy Caswell across his cheek (which was certainly something I did not expect from a girl who seemed more mild-mannered than another I can think of...), Athena reluctantly ends her latest turn.

"Agh...I end my turn."

"You accomplish nothing! Just as I had done on my last turn, I can use my Number's Overlay Unit to seize control of one of your monsters!"

And by no surprise to me, he chooses to take control of Gogogo Golem once more.  
Athena didn't seem as shocked either, but nevertheless complained:

"Damn it, there goes Golem again...!"

"If you had summoned Utopia, he would not have been able to take control of your Golem."

"...Explain."

"Terrorbyte's ability allows it to take control of a monster with a certain Level. But XYZ monsters, like Utopia, have Ranks, not Levels. Understand?"

She grits her teeth a little, but nods, giving me the open opportunity to try and reason with her and allow me to guide her through this duel.

"You're clearly inexperienced. You should listen to me."

But it seems the effects of that outburst from earlier have yet to leave her air of judgement.

"Screw that. A little more damage won't hurt me...(mumble) not that anything can these days..."

 _Huh? What does she mean by that?_

"Besides, Gogogo Golem will return as soon as this turn is finished. When that happens-"

She's interrupted by a chuckle from the man, Mister Kay, who then asks her in a sardonic tone,

"Do you seriously expect me to use the same strategy two turns in a row? This time around, I'm activating two Continuous Spells!"

 _Continuous Spells? Oh dear, this will not bode well at all._

I wasn't the only one who thought so: The boy Caswell began to panic again, but was briefly interrupted when Tiffany asks him,

"Uh, mind explaining what a Continuous Spell does?"

"It's just like a normal Spell, but it's effect stays active as long as the card stays on the field. Now please let me go back to freaking out...!"

Mister Kay then explains which Continuous Spells he will be using:

"With Infected Mail, once a turn, any Level Four or below monster I have on my field can attack you directly, but after it attacks, it's destroyed."

I mutter,

"Oh no," just as he makes the play I easily guessed he would:

"And since it's on my field, I'm going to attack you with your very own Gogogo Golem!"

(WHACK)

"Ugh!"

Athena is knocked backwards hard by Gogogo Golem's fist, as her Life Points drop to 1400...

"So sorry, Athena, but now it's time to say goodbye to your precious Golem!"

Said monster self-destructs, much to her exclaim of,

"Aw man, not good...!"

"I'm afraid it gets even worse, for that this moment, my second Continuous Spell activates! Since Infected Mail destroyed your Golem, Cracking hits you with another 800 points of damage!"

A bolt of lightning shoots from the card straight at her body...but that's when I noticed something I had not previously: Even though Athena was clearly taking some form of damage...the indifferent frown with ever-so-slight faltering, and the fact she was still standing without flinching, made it seem that she wasn't feeling any change to her condition.

 _How strange...Wait: Those words she mumbled before..._

 _Could she have be hinting that she actually cannot feel physical pain at all?_

 _...How is that even possible? From what I have seen so far in this world, all humans should be able to._

I decided to save that question for a later time, and focused back on the current matter at hand as Athena's Life Points settle down to 600.

"So what do you think of my special, patent Terrorbyte Combo?"

"What do I think? I think your combo's a load of crap, that's what I think!...Hm?"

It was then she focused on me, as my body began to fade in and out from existence as it did once before...

"...Uh, don't remember you being this transparent...What's going on?"

Holding a hand up to my eyes to see for myself, I answer,

"Every time you lose Life Points, I can feel my Life Force fading."

"Fading? So then...(Widens eyes) that's what you meant the other day...But, still: To be weighted down over something that serious, (narrows eyes) that'll just set you up for instant failure in the blink of an eye."

I was taken aback by her characterization, noticing something in her eyes that spoke of more than what she was saying, as if...she knew, or once knew, exactly how I felt in terms of failure...

"...Hey, Addy!"

We both turn around to the sound of Caswell's voice, and saw his body in a rather, odd position.

"Be like the, the phoenix, and ri~se from the ashes!"

Thankfully, I was not the only one confused:

"(Sweatdrop) Uuh, Cas, are you feelin' okay?"

"Neh, forget the phoenix: There's a dragon in your heart, Addy. A giant, sleeping dragon, bird-monster! Uh, in the end, what I'm saying is that you got tremendous potential inside of you!"

"Uh! You, really think so?"

"Yeah...I do...All you have to do is wake that potential up and this duel is yours!"

Athena seemed quite surprised by his words, but then forms a rather small smile (smaller in comparison to say her friend, Tiffany, suggesting she does not make that expression often) of gratitude and replies in a soft tone,

"Caswell...thank you."

She then turns to face the field again and says to herself,

"Okay then: Let's see about waking that inner beast!"

The turnaround of her mood was quite interesting, and had me wondering,

"Observation Number Six: Praise motivates humans."

With that in mind, I decide to give the notion a try in my own manner:

"Athena, I also have something I have been meaning to say to you."

"Oh? What would that be?"

"You are illogical, and you anger too easily. Your athletic abilities are brutish but well-balanced. You are stubborn too, and odd...But these are all excellent traits, so earlier, when I said you were inexperienced, I meant to say, incredible."

...She stares at me for a moment, before replying dully,

"Not the worst compliment I've ever heard, but you need to work on your delivery...Still, thanks, I guess."

(...Rumble)

"Huh?!"

Suddenly, before we realized it, this entire room began to move upward!

"What the he-Since when was this place a giant elevator?!"

"Wh-What the-the ceiling's opening! We're going up...We're outside!"

"Are we going all the way to the top?!"

 _Well, this is an interesting development..._

Terry's POV

It took another eight minutes longer, but I finally made it to the end of the underground cyber maze!

"Gotcha!"

Yoko hugs me around my shoulders and cheers,

"Way to go, Ter! The viral code should be right behind that door!"

(Beeeep, beeeep)

"Huh?"

 _Oh great, now what?_

The door opens, and reveals a Crashbug Avatar dressed in a cloak like some kind of video game boss...Somehow knowing what this next part entailed, I hold my hands up in a surrender gesture and say,

"I'm, gonna let you take this one, Yoko. You know better than anyone that I suck at fighter games."

"Roger. Step aside."

We switch places so she was sitting in my chair, and fold-cracks her fingers before creating her own little avatar dressed in a karate outfit and a tiny pink ponytail.

"Okay, virus, little tip: Never underestimate the power of a puzzle master and a fighter wizard!"

 _Haha, that's one way to describe us!_

At that note, the Yoko Avatar is commanded into a charge, and I do my duty as the cheer section this round.

"Go, Yoko! Kick his ass!"

 _Don't know what you're doin' now, sis, but don't worry: We're gettin' close to the end!_

Astral's POV

It would hardly be but a minute before the room slows into a stop at the top of this large tower...

"From up here, we'll have the best view in the city to witness the results of the viral bug! I'm placing one card face-down and ending my turn."

Even though the situation was becoming increasingly dire on a number of factors, Athena still continued to act as if she were deaf to my voice...I had hoped my praise would have softened her stubbornness a little, but it seems it did not work as effectively as I had hoped. Something inside her was clearly stirred from our mild argument previously...something in her heart that won't let the words go.

 _If Athena loses this duel, I will fade away._

 _How can get her to listen to me?_

That's when I recalled her specific words:

 _(Flash)_

 _"I don't want to hear another word out of you for the rest of this duel, and that includes any other strategy advice you feel like you need to fling at me."_

 _"Short version, you say left, I go right..."_

 _(Flash)_

"That gives me an idea."

"Alright, game on: My Draw! (Looks at the card) Awesome! I was hoping I'd get this guy. Goblinbergh, takeoff!"

I had to agree this was a good draw, for this Level Four monster's ability would be our saving move. Tiffany and Caswell were quite excited too:

"Now his is what I call a promising development, because when Goblinbergh comes to field, it can bring another monster with it!"

"I knew Addy would swing back!"

This was when I put my plan into action:

"Athena, use this opportunity to summon Zubaba Knight."

"Good suggestion...'cept I'll be bringin' out Gonbara, not Zubaba!"

It was at the moment both monsters were present on the field, does Athena quickly realize her next play.

"Ah! Both are Level Four...(Smirk) which means I can XYZ Summon Utopia!"

 _Just as I hoped she would see..._

"Alright: I overlay Level Four Goblinbergh and Gonbara Knight, and XYZ Summon Number 39: Utopia!"

And just like that, our main Number Monster was standing at ready on the dueling field...

"Athena, listen: Do not lay down a Trap Card. You're not skilled enough."

"What was that?! Rgh, I'll show you no skill...I place one card face-down and end my turn! Move's on you, sir!"

 _Yet another move well-executed...There may be hope for this girl yet._

 _All it takes is the right motivation._

Fujina Residence, No POV

"Tch, delete my entire hard-drive and erase the biggest story of my career, will you?!"

Come about two minutes of feverish clicking of the mouse and keyboard, Yoko will have successfully taken the Crashbug Avatar down a peg and then some!

"Yes!"

"Alright!...Huh?"

Unfortunately, it wasn't completely out of the race yet, and activated a last power jump to fight, much to hers and Terry's annoyance.

"Oh come on, really?!"

"Should've expected this from a master hacker...Okay, you got this, Yoko: One more time!"

Back to the Tower Under Construction

"It's my turn now! Ha!"

(Swipe)

"And once again, I'm activating Terrorbyte's special ability: This time, I'll be taking control of your Achacha Archer!"

Said monster becomes caught under the electrical chain and is summoned to the opposite side of the field, making Athena groan in annoyance.

"Okay, now that move's getting old. Can't you use your own monsters for once?"

"Why should I? Thanks to my Terrorbyte Combo, I get so much more out of turning your monsters against you!"

The archer draws an arrow at the ready as Caswell notes nervously,

"Because of Mister Kay's combo, Archer will will be taken down, and Addy along with him!"

Athena mutters with a slip of a curse,

"Shi-oot, shoot! If he succeeds, I'm done for. Think, Addy, think..."

"Too bad Utopia is so useless. If only it had some ability..."

Astral's words made something in her brain click:

"Wait...that's it: Utopia has the best ability for the job!" She quickly makes her move:

"Check this ability out, Mister Kay: I activate Lightwing Shield! Using one Overlay Unit, Utopia can negate a monster's attack!"

Said Number uses their wings to deflect the incoming arrow, before Astral notes,

"Infected Mail's effect only activates when the infected monster's attack succeeds. Since Utopia's ability stopped the attack, not only is it safe, but Cracking will not be able to activate either."

Athena hums with a smirk directed at Mister Kay:

"Heh, looks like your special combo's become a flop, sir."

"Well, it seems I may have underestimated you." Caswell was certainly impressed:

"Athena's been displaying some rare bursts of intelligence."

But Tiffany guessed,

"She's more than likely swallowed her pride and started taking advice from the invisible duelist."

"You were serious about that...?"

Astral then says to Athena,

"Now your teacher has used up all of his Overlay Units."

"You're right. (Directs to Mister Kay) Not only is your combo a flop, it can't even be used anymore! What are ya gonna do now?"

But instead of nerves displaying on his face, the man was still airing confidence and slight smugness.

"You don't honestly think that I failed to get your strategy just now, do you, Athena?"

"...Didn't cross my mind, to be honest..."

"You've managed to pave a new road straight to my victory. I now activate, the Bug Switch Trap Card!"

A face-down flips up, the image briefly displaying a scene with some examples of the Crashbug monsters before flashing over white...

"When Crashbug X, Y and Z are in my Graveyard, I switch one of my monsters to summon Super-Crashbug in Defense Mode!"

Terrorbyte shifts into Attack Mode with 0 points, just as a new Level Four monster depicted as a giant mass of pixels with a Crashbug head graces the field with 3000 Defense Points! Though slightly intimidated by the defensive power, Athena dryly remarks,

"Huh, funny. I expected you to summon a strong beast in Attack Mode..."

"Now why on earth would I go and do something as ill-effective as that, when I can activate Super-Crashbug's special ability!"

The monster begins emitting a purple ring of light from its body, spreading to all monsters on both sides of the field...

"Now all monsters in Attack Mode swap their Attack and Defense Points! Terrorbyte had 2900 Defense Points, but now it has 2900 Attack Points."

Athena was floored:

"Aw crap! Then that means my monsters are gonna end up on the weak end of the scale!"

By that, she meant that Utopia now had 2000 Attack Points and Achacha Archer 600!

"And that means it's the perfect time to attack! Go, Terrorbyte: Attack Utopia!"

The data-chip monster makes it charge horn-first, as Astral 'warns' Athena,

"Don't dodge this!"

"Are you nuts?! I'm so dodgin' that! I activate Utopia's ability: Using it's last Overlay Unit, I can slam the breaks on your attack!"

The angel warrior's shield comes up just in time, and while Tiffany was excited, Caswell wasn't.

"Nice!"

"No, not nice: Now Utopia's without Overlay Units! Without those, Athena can't prevent future attacks!"

"...Oh no..."

Mister Kay wraps up his current turn:

"I place one card face-down and end my turn!"

Astral mentally notes,

 _I think I know what that face-down card is..._

"This will all be over on my next turn."

 **Viral Release will occur in approximately five minutes.**

Athena draws her next card:

"Terrorbyte just had to get stronger, didn't it? Mister Kay makes a good point, though: It's gotta be this turn I beat him, or I'll be on the train to loserville..."

"Athena, listen to me."

"Hm?"

She looks up at Astral who says,

"Whatever you do, do not use Zubaba Knight and Achacha Archer to XYZ summon Leviathan Dragon. That is a bad idea."

"Uh...! That's right: I almost forgot I have that dragon now after yesterday...(Small smirk) And if you're flashing a red light to the idea, then I'm goin' green!"

With that, she summons the knight onto the field before getting on with her main play.

"Now that Zubaba's here, I'll be combining him with Achacha to form the Overlay Network! Mister Kay, say hello to Number 17: Leviathan Dragon!"

The two monsters twist into contrasting streams of orange and red lights, diving into the golden vortex to form the second XYZ beast at Athena's disposal, rising into form with a deafening roar.

"Interesting...but you seem to have forgotten the effect Super-Crashbug will have. Remember, the Defense Points of a monster in Attack Mode are swapped, which means your Leviathan Dragon now has 0 Attack Points!"

The girl with red irises sucks some air between her teeth and curses,

"Dammit! One fell swoop's all it takes to tank on the excitement..."

She turns to glare at Astral, deciding he had part of the responsibility in this latest disappointment.

"You just had to prompt me into doing that, didn't you?! Like when you told me not to dodge: If I'd stood there like a sitting du-..."

She cuts herself off, thinking back with a more careful head about what has been happening before now.

 _Wait a second..._

 _(Flash)_

 _"Don't dodge this!"_

 _(Flash)_

 _...Okay, I may have only met this guy just yesterday, but, somehow I know Hell will freeze over before he's dumb enough to spout stupid advice like that._

 _...At least not without a reason...Uh!_

 _(Flash)_

 _"Short version, you say left, I go right..."_

 _(Flash)_

"...You little sneak: You were playing the opposite game with me this whole time!"

Athena was ticked off at first...but then dips her head and shivers, before bursting into laughter, much to everyone's confusion.

"Huh?" "Addy?"

"What the..."

"Athena...?"

Once she got control over herself again, she wipes away an amused tear before looking up at the mysterious being with a smirk of acknowledgement for his little ploy.

"Alright, points to you on that one, Astral. That was pretty shrewd, using my stubbornness against me like you did. I'm somewhat offended, but it was still clever."

Hearing no signs of hostility from the girl's voice, Astral sends a ghost of a smile back before saying,

"You should play Thunder Short from your hand, Athena. With that, your victory will be assured."

"Hmph, really?...No tricks?"

He opens his eyes for emphasis as he replies seriously,

"No games this time. If you don't do this, I will vanish from this world."

...Athena lets out a large, tired breath before nodding:

"Fine. I'm using my listening ears this time...Just know if by some terrible luck this move backfires on us, I'm totally blaming you."

She then focuses back onto the duel:

"From my hand, I play the Spell, Thunder Short! With this, I can doll 500 points of damage for every monster on my opponent's side of the field. Don't think I need to tell you how to multiply, do I, Mister Kay?"

A twin shot of lightning blasts onto the man's body, making him let out a cry as his Life Points drop to 3000.

"Grh, this isn't funny anymore..."

"Never was from the start, but glad to know we still agree on something."

He shoots a glare at the wryly-smirking girl before activating his face-down a second time.

"Once again, I activate Damage Vaccine Omega-Max! And just as I did before, I regain Life Points equal to the damage I took."

Athena's eyes narrow as she mutters,

"Sheesh, he's actin' like he's in a shield made of jello: No matter how much you jiggle it, he's still in place."

Astral replies to her in a hinting tone,

"I think you are forgetting about the Trap Card you laid down."

"Hm? Oh, that's right: My Trap Card! I activate my face-down, Overconfidence!"

Mister Kay was taken aback by the play:

"The, the what?!"

"Since you regained Life Points, I can destroy one of your monsters on your side of the field. Hmm, let's see: How 'bout we 'subtract' Super-Crashbug from the party!"

Said monster disappears in an explosion of pixels, and Tiffany makes a sound of hope with a smile while Caswell exclaims excitedly,

"With Super-Crashbug gone from the field, all of the other monsters on the field switch back to their original Attack and Defense Points!"

In which case, Utopia and Leviathan Dragon would be back to 2500 and 2000 Attack Points each, while Terrorbyte dropped back to 0, much to Mister Kay's shock.

"Auh! No, this can't be: Now Terrorbyte's back to 0 Attack Points!"

"You're up first, Leviathan: Attack Terrorbyte with Shock-Stream Blast!"

The dragon would obliterate the data-chip rinocer-oid in one shot, leaving their wielder to cringe back against the electrical tide while his Life Points dropped to 2000...But that was only part one:

"Alright, Utopia, finish this off: Attack him directly with Rising Sun Slash!"

(SLASH)

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaagggghhhhhhhh!"

The math teacher meets defeat, his Life Points gone in one swing from the Number's golden blade...!

Tiffany and Caswell cheer for Athena's win:

"Yes! Addy for the win!"

"A miraculous, come-from-behind victory!"

The bob-cut girl was then swinging in a circle with the bowl-cut boy as they laughed and giggled happily, while Athena pulls off her gazer with a breath of accomplishment, the AR World vanishing to make room for reality.

"Yet another stroke of luck...and against my math teacher of all people." Astral replies,

"I'm also somewhat amazed we pulled that off."

"Hm...By the way, how'd you figure that Mister Kay would pull that restoration move again like he did?"

"You math teacher was seeking perfection. It became clear to me that he did not want to lose any Life Points, that he would put his desire to be perfect above everything else. So I reasoned that he would try to regain his Life Points, even if he did not need to at the time."

Athena nods, and hums with an indifferent frown,

"All the more reason I believe fixation on perfection is dangerous...Better to accept your flaws rather than deny them."

The being of blue stares down at the girl for a moment, before focusing on retrieving Number 34 from the semi-conscious Mister Kay.  
Athena's red orbs watch the action from start to finish, wide and filled with curiousity...

"This card contains a memory of what was once a part of me. Number, 34..."

"...And, what's the memory this time?"

Astral closes his eyes in concentration as he let his mind soak it in, picturing a vast galaxy made from many hues of blue...

"...I remember the place where I came from...A different galaxy...Astral World. That is where I am from."

A small smile forms on Athena's lips as she muses,

"Heh, so you're named after your home? That's pretty cool."

She then notices the small frown on Astral's face, and formed one of her own in mild concern.

"...Astral?"

"...That is all I remember."

Her eyes widen slightly, before softening them into a sympathetic expression and tries to reach out to gently grab the being's hand...only to find,

"Oh!"

Her hand just went right through!

 _Whoops...I guess he's a bit more spirit-like then I thought..._

"Athena?"

She looks back up to see Astral looking at her with mild surprise at her actions:

"Did, you just try to..."

She looks away in some embarrassment and quietly replies,

"Um, yeah, I did...It's, something humans do to comfort one another when they seem sad, distant or troubled..."

"I see..."

"...Don't lose hope, Astral."

"Hm?"

Athena looks up at him with a more positive expression and says to him,

"We just have to take this one step at a time. It'll all come back eventually...okay?"

"Uh...(Nod) Alright."

She shoots a half-smile, half-smirk, before moving to help her friends raise their math teacher into a sitting position to rouse him awake.

"Mister Kay...Mister Kay, wake up!"

"Come on, Mister Kay, this ain't the time to be wandering in dreamland!"

His eyes blink awake a moment after the calls:

"Uh...U-Uh, what? What are all of you guys doing here?"

Athena then urges,

"Good, you're up, now please, hurry and shut down the countdown to this virus!"

"The viral countdown? I can't: The viral release doesn't have a cancellation code."

"Gh! Seriously?! Does that mean, our city's about to plummet into the dark ages?!"

Fujina Reisdence

"Rrrgh, don't you know when to quit while you're ahead?!"

During the last events of the duel, Yoko worked furiously to defeat the Crashbug Avatar Boss, her ferocity making Terry flinch back in mild fear.

 _Yipes. I keep forgetting she's got the temper of a viper...How our brief break-ups didn't end with hospital trips is beyond me._

One punch later, and the Yoko Avatar knocks the enemy down flat, it disintegrating into pixels!

"Ha, finally, I did it!"

...But much to hers and Terry's shock, the clock still kept going down:

"Uh! Why's the clock still ticking?"

"Gh! Maybe...maybe this virus doesn't have an off-switch!"

The young adults turn to one another with wide eyes and mutter,

"Oh, shi-"

Back to the Tower

 **3...2...1...**

(Beep)

"Auh, we're doomed!"

"It's all over!"

Mister Kay comes over to the edge of the room following Tiffany's and Caswell's exclaims, majorly perplexed by their fright.

"What are you guys shouting about over here?" Athena replies incredulously,

"The virus, what else?! Didn't you create it to induce panic all over the city?"

"Why would think I would do something like that?"

It was then the girl with blue irises notes the quiet and peace of the city nightlife:

"Um...oh, nothing's happening."

"I'll admit that during my preparations, I accidentally caused some trouble, but..."

Athena quickly realizes with a deadpan,

 _Oookaaay, I'm starting to get it now: The Number must've aroused something in his brain that made him go wacky._

 _...But wait, if that's the case-_

"Then what were you really trying to do?"

...Down below in the streets, the lights of a large, dome-shaped building go on!

"Ah, there we go! You want to know what I did? Just put on your duel gazers and look up to the sky."

Though suspicious, Athena follows the example of her friends, muttering,

"And I thought yesterday was a top contender for weird..."

When she looks up, her eyes bulge out when she sees a familiar monster enlarged to gigantic proportions!

"Whoa! Is that..."

"(All three teens) There's a giant Crashbug in the sky!"

Mister Kay then explains his true motives, a smile on his face as he did so:

"I was looking at a pattern in the city's nightlights, and they seem to be forming an incredibly-complex matrix code. With my duel gazer, I scanned the pattern and realized it was just one optical fragment away from being the Crashbug Q Code, and I then I realized that the museum's lights aren't normally lit up at night."

"You mean to tell us all this craziness was because you were just trying to make a giant Crashbug appear in the AR sky?!"

"Yeah, you got it."

The three teenagers fall over in exasperation, and Athena irritably mumbles,

"Bloody Jesus," before turning attention to Caswell's address:

"Athena, look."

She sees his Crashbug Card, and takes it to look while asking with a shrug,

"What about it?"

"Read the description..."

As she does, we see that the citizens all over Heartland City, young and old, cluing into the large projection, becoming excited and smiley at seeing the monster sending bomb-induced fireworks to dance across the stars. Even Terry and Yoko watched the display from the front window of the Fujina residence, with their own smiles and holding an arm around one another...

" _'Crashbug is an electrical spirit that eats the bugs in our lives. Sadness, Doubt, Frustration. No bug is too big for Crashbug. If one sees the monster on the night of a full moon, good luck and happiness will smile upon you'_...Huh, go figure."

"You see? In the end, Mister Kay wanted everyone to have good luck."

"I do, Cas."

"...Um, listen, Athena?"

She looks up from the card to meet the boy's pear green eyes with her red, and he suddenly pulls her gently to the side from Tiffany and their teacher in an almost private-like manner, forming an apologetic expression.

"Uh, Caswell?"

"...I'm sorry about what I said about you, before our duel during school today. That wasn't fair of me, and incredibly judgemental."

Athena was taken aback by the apology...but then smiles a little and claps the boy's shoulder.

"It's, fine. Not the first time I've been judged based off one aspect of me...Thank you for apologizing, though; I appreciate it."

Caswell takes a turn at being surprised by the forgiveness...but then forms a small smile of his own.

"You're welcome."

"Hey. How 'bout we work on more 'getting to know' and less 'judging the cover', eh?"

The two shake hands as the boy replies,

"In the end, I find that to be an excellent plan."

...From afar, Astral watched the exchange of friendliness between the teens, before focusing on making note of the power of these strange cards that were once a part of his being.

"Observation Number Seven: Number Cards effect people. They change them...They seem to want to amplify an individual's wants and desires, almost to the point that they take over. I need to remember that."


	5. The Flip-side of Life, Part One

Hey all! Hope you're enjoyin' the story so far!

Just thought I'd pop in here to mention something I'm sure a few of you might be curious about:

I've yet to decide if I'm going to make a romance ship between Astral and my main OC.

The thought's been going back and forth...but I'm not quite sure, so for now, they'll stay just friends. If any of you would like to offer your opinion in the reviews, that'd be great. I think I'll finalize on it by chapter 9.

Anyway, back to the story; read on!

* * *

It's a new afternoon shifting to evening in Heartland City, and we cast our view over the large shopping mall, specifically, one confections store as a middle-aged man with short, curly brown hair tucked under a hat, bushy eyebrows, wearing a green buttoned-up shirt and blue jeans under a yellow work apron with a candy icon on it, and black work boots, was announcing a huge sale he was having on his product for all passing shoppers to hear.

"Come and get it, everyone! Tasty snacks and treats for sale! Everything half-off; it won't last long!"

A good crowd of women have already crowded around the displays to check out what's offered and buy the products...but would soon be deterred away thanks to the voice of another.

They were a young boy of shorter height than most but with a maturity in his tone suggesting he was older than he appeared, short brown hair styled in a D.A. that also made it look like he had tiny horns on the sides of his head, and wore thick-framed green glasses that made his coal-gray irises smaller than they are, an aqua blue bowler hat with a shooting star design displayed up front while the back had a red frowny face, and the first-year boy's uniform of Heartland Academy.

"Half-off? Hmm, let's see here...Mhm, and that one? Yep: They're all half-price, but that's only half the story!"

After looking over two of the sweet products, he turns with a knowing grin to the confused crowd of potential customers before revealing,

"This food's so cheap, because it's past its expiration date!"

Their reaction was instant:

"Ugh, disgusting!" "I don't want this!" "Toss it back!"

As the products are discarded back onto the displays, the shop owner begins chewing the boy out for revealing his cover-up, tick-mark abundant.

"Hey, kid, what are you doin'?! You're costing me money!"

The boy in turn replies in an 'innocent' tone,

"I'm just telling the other side of things. Everything has two sides..."

He pulls his blue duel disk out from his messenger bag:

"Just like in a duel: There's a winner, and there's a lo~ser!"

"Well bring it on, kid!"

Soon, the two were engaged in a heated duel, and it looked like fortune's favour was about to be reflected in the boy's...

"And now, I play the Trap Card, Ultra-C!"

"What?! Ultra-C?!"

"Yep, and next I summon, Grettasaurus!"

And as soon as the red-skinned tyrannosaur monster emerged from the ground up, it attacks the shop owner directly, wiping out his last 1800 Life Points.

"Gaaaaaaahhhhh!"

The boy comes out victorious with 3400 Life Points, and says as the AR World fades away,

"That's for trying to pull one over on us. (Grin) 'Course, the truth is, the food had no expiration date to begin with!"

With a mischievous chuckle, he grabs one of the packaged lollies and moves on.

 _Well, that's life for ya: For every up, there's a down._

As he kept walking through the mall, we see that his viewpoint regarding two sides was, more literal than it seemed, from passing a sign shaped like a monkey and causing it to turn over...

 _For every Yes, there's a No._

To switching a Open Sign on a Pet Shop to Closed.

 _Every coin has two sides._

As he bites into his sweet, he spots Tiffany and a fellow female classmate sitting on a bench while having their own treats after school.

 _Simply put, everything has its Flip-side!_

He passes them, and winds up causing their candies to turn upside-down in their hands, much to their confusion.

"Huh?"

"Weird..."

That is, until Tiffany quickly deduces who was to blame and calls after the boy with a ticked-off expression.

"Ay!"

But he soon left the mall and was walking in a different area of the city near a park, just as a LitterBot was doing its evening collection.

 _And I get by in this world by exposing that side, on everything I come across._

The robot too would be subjected to the 'flipping', and would be left stuck upside-down while calling,

"Error! Malfunction!"

The boy then muses his thoughts aloud as he slows to a stop near some stairs:

"Make that everything and everyone. (Looks up) Like her: Addy, or rather, Athena Fujina."

Yes: It was at that moment the red-eyed teenage girl was passing along in a jog on an upper bridge, wearing her modified school uniform and carrying a cloth shopping bag under one arm in addition to her backpack over her back. She mutters to herself,

"Dang it, I gotta step up the pace! Gramps won't be impressed if I'm late with the supplies for dinner tonight...!"

Astral had materialized out of her key just then, and found his eyes catching sight of the young man below, sensing a strange, ominous aura emanating from their being.

"That boy..."

Meanwhile, the unnamed student watches Athena disappear while thinking,

 _Athena's infamous for being better at rough-toned athletics rather than dueling..._

 _Yet she defeated Shark, a duelist so good he made it to the Nationals last year._

 _There is definitely a Flip-side to that coin..._

He looks down at a card in his hand depicting a cute, furred creature, Level One and with 900 Attack/Defense Points.

 _And with the help of this card, I'm gonna find out._

 _I'll give Athena this little guy in exchange for a duel, (Grin) and then I'll learn what I need to know!_

Time Skip, Fujina Residence, Athena's POV

So it's been a few days since the fiasco atop that yet-to-be-finished tower and saving the city from a possible technical-related emergency (I don't wanna try wondering what that Number possessing Mister Kay was intending to do as opposed to his original plan), and everything's settled back into a more normal pace...

We~ll, okay, maybe normal's a bit of a stretch if we add everything up to now, but I've decided to take this new 'task' I got roped into with a better and less reluctant attitude. I'm also slowly getting used to Astral's presence in my life...if not without a few hitches.

"(Yawn) Mornin' already...?"

"I've noticed that you get up at quite an early hour compared to the other occupants of your home."

"Whah!"

(Thump)

For example, he seems to be developing a routine of hovering almost directly over me while I'm asleep, which does not end until first morning light when I wake up, which as you can guess startles the heck out of me.

Anyway, I lift myself to my feet from my topple to the floor and grumble,

"Geez, this better not become a new habit..."

"Why do you wake up this early?"

Letting out a breath and exercising patience (which believe me, is quite the hurdle for someone with my temper), I turn to his place by the end of my bed where he was floating, positioned with his arms folded and ankles crossed, and reply in a dry tone,

"Okay, first of all, can you please stop floating directly over-top of me while I'm sleeping? It's not a very pleasant feeling to nearly have the living daylights scared out of me when I wake up...As for your question, I just, do. It's a habit I've developed since more than a year and half ago."

He nods, and I move on with gathering up my clothes for school as well as my running outfit...As I did so, I could feel a pair of mismatched eyes following my movements, which prompted me to straighten up and face him again with another subject I've yet to bring to attention.

"Okay, look: I've decided to accept that you're not some figment of my imagination, mostly due to..."

I point over to my desk where my dueling equipment was along with my cards:

"Those crazy cards now occupying my deck...That being said, I'd like to go over some ground rules for the long haul of this new, partnership. (Holds up a finger) Rule Number One: Don't observe me while I'm changing my clothes. The reason is related to why I told you to stay out of the bathroom, the 'courtesy to privacy' thing. At the very least avert your eyes until I say it's okay."

"Alright."

"Rule Number Two: Don't disturb me while I'm asleep at night unless it's an emergency."

"And what qualifies as an emergency?"

 _Hm, good question..._

I reply simply while putting my cards back into the deck holder,

"Basically anything ranging from Threat to Life to someone trying to steal the Number Cards."

"Hm, very well."

"Rule Number Three: I understand that I'm basically the only one who can see and hear you, so I'm likely gonna be your main go-to-source for information about my world. However, I'd appreciate it if you didn't blurt out too many questions at once, and give me time to come up with an answer that makes sense to the both of us."

"That is acceptable."

"Rule Number Four: If you see me with more than two persons at a time...I wouldn't try to get me to talk to you. No offense, but like I said, I'm so far the only person who can perceive you, so you can imagine what sort of trouble might brew if alot of people start lookin' at me funny for talking to 'seemingly thin air'."

"I suppose that is a fair point...Anything else?"

I flash a tiny smile at him as I zip up my backpack and reply,

"Nope. That's all I got for now. If I think of any others, I'll let you know...Now then..."

I grab my jogging outfit off of my desk chair and say to Astral,

"Moving on, I gotta get ready to head out the door soon, so, mind lookin' the other way?"

...A few minutes later:

"Okay, you're good to turn."

He does so as I finish tying the laces of my black sneakers, matching the scheme of my black/red halter top and capri-cut pants, and asks me,

"What sort of uniform is that?"

"It's not a uniform. It's just an outfit, for exercise to be more specific. It's made with lightweight material that hugs the body so the person isn't held back by things like extra weight or wind resistance."

Grabbing my bag, I make my way out the door of my room as Astral then asks,

"Does your school uniform have such weight and resistance?"

"Eh, kind-a, but it's more that I don't want my uniform to get scuffed up in any way. My, morning runs sometimes get a bit rough depending on the routes I take."

"Rough in what way?"

I open the door to the bathroom (leaving it partly ajar this time) to get my hairbrush and form my high ponytail as I reply casually,

"Mm, well, for example, there's this one road that gets alot of LitterBot traffic, and one time I accidentally scratched my leg on one of their mechanical hands as I passed. Nothin' serious, but if I had been wearing my uniform, my pants would've likely gotten ripped."

I turn from the mirror and saw Astral's face was occupying a slightly worried expression, and I smirked wryly while chiding with a chuckle,

"Relax, it doesn't happen all the time. I just have to be careful."

"...You speak so calmly about the potential in personal injury."

Shrugging, I make my way back into the hall and down the stairs to get my lunch packed and my stomach filled with breakfast for the morning. By no surprise to me, Grandpa was already sitting in the kitchen finishing up what looks to be Omurice while reading the paper on his duel disk and drinking some tea.

"Ah, Athena, good morning."

"Mornin', grandpa."

I move to grab my own plate and cup for breakfast before sitting across from him at the table, the both of us just doing our comfortable silence routine for the morning...Once I was done eating, I cleaned my dishes and left them in the drying rack before moving to grab a takeaway container to fill with some of last night's Kamameshi for my lunch.

 _It's kind-a funny that Gramps has on and off moods of homegrown versus overseas cuisine..._

"...Have you been feeling any spikes in your metabolism, dear? I'm only asking because it's been a while since the last one."

I finish closing the container and turn to face grandpa with a faint smile as I reply,

"Nah, I've been feeling fine. No surprises, least not so far...Like the doc said, though, it's not really something my body can time anymore..."

"Yes, of course. But perhaps you should take an energy bar just be on the safe side?"

"Sure."

I quickly scoop up one said bar from the cupboard to toss into my backpack, zip it close and strapped on my water bottle before making my way out the door, waving bye to my elder family member as I passed...

As soon as I was about halfway down the front stairs, Astral would ask me a question I almost wasn't prepared to answer.

"What did your grandfather mean by spikes, and what is metabolism?"

"Uh, well...Metabolism refers to the system process in how an organism, like humans, breaks down sources of energy to use for themselves, storing, using, that sort of thing. As for spike...I don't have a normal metabolism compared to most: It has these random moments of rising to an unhealthy level, least for someone of my age. Basically, my body ends up burning off more energy than it needs to."

By this time, I've begun my jog, keeping a steady pace so I could speak to the being floating alongside me, who was rather intrigued of my condition.

"What happens to you if you use up too much energy?"

"I get more exhausted than usual, my vision gets a little blurry, I may or may not have trouble breathing...I start to lose weight, and even my muscle mass sometimes begins to deteriorate. Worst case, I pass out completely."

"...That sounds rather frightening..."

I pause on on top an incline and smile grimly as I muse,

"It was at first, but it's become a bit easier to manage even with the unpredictability. I never know when it comes, but thankfully, it only lasts for about a week. Increased exhaustion is usually my warning sign, and once I get it, I just have to up my intake of protein-based foods, drink more water and pull back a little on my intense exercise routines. Once it's done, I'm fine for another random amount of time."

"I see...and, how long has it been-"

"Since my last spike? Uhm, think we're comin' up on a month and three, no, four days..."

Turning to meet Astral's eyes, I say to him a bit more seriously,

"The reason I'm feeling open enough to tell you about all this, in addition to being in a decent mood to talk...is, because I sometimes don't sense the warning sign."

He tilts his chin down with his arms folded and eyes closed in a matter-of-fact fashion.

"Hm, I see...so you are asking me to be a second set of eyes incase you miss it."

I look away with a partly-sheepish expression and reply,

"Yeah, I mean, if you don't mind..."

"...I do not."

I turn back to look at him as he flashes me an expression of reassurance, which makes me smile slightly before moving on with my run...For the first rest of the time slot before I would make my way to school, instead of my usual solitude sessions of music and my own thoughts, I actually found myself talking with Astral a bit more, answering random questions he had about my world or just simply trading some words.

I would say that I wasn't fond of the change...but, that'd be a lie. I kind-a liked this new break in the usual silence I faced in the morning. It felt, less lonely...

Come close to 7:30, I circled down from the bridge overtop the park to the route where'd I meet with Jamal just as I finish answering Astral's question about my name, or rather, names.

"Athena is my true first name. Addy is just a nickname I've had since I was little, a playful short version of my name if you will. Heh, it's kind-a funny, though: The boy who started it back in first grade called me it to be mean to me, but the joke was on him because I liked how Addy sounded."

"Huh. So his bad intentions became pointless, then."

"Yep. Then over the years up to now, everyone I knew would begin calling me by Addy as often as they used Athena. There's no right or wrong way; I answer to both."

"I see...I think I prefer your true first name, Athena."

I shrug and reply,

"Hey, whatever works for ya."

"Addy!"

 _Hup, there's Jamal, right on time._

He would come rolling up from behind to my right side on his scooter, the ends of his dreadlocks peeking from out under his helmet to sail on the wind drag, mouth curved into his casual smile.

"Hey, Jamal!"

"Good mornin' so far?"

"Good as it gets, even with the mental exercise I got pulled into in addition to the run, (glances up) thanks to Astral."

The blue being in turn shoots me a slightly annoyed look when he catches my hint of a cheeky smile, while Jamal looked plain confused.

"Huh? Astral?...Oooh, you mean the invisible duelist?"

"Yep."

"...Is he here right now?"

"Left side."

My friend peers over to look almost directly at where Astral was (missing eye contact by about an inch), before focusing up front while shaking his head and remarking,

"You know, at a time ago, I'd say the idea of a being from another plain that can only be seen by one of my close friends is nutty...But given what we've been through on top of lately, I guess it wouldn't be insane to believe."

This was one of the things about my friends that I loved: They, like me, are willing to have faith in the impossible...

Anyway, this morning's commune to school would have a new kind of obstacle for Jamal and I to try and dodge, namely, two random guys walking along and hauling a large, skinny rectangular box labeled Fragile in bold red letters that looked pretty heavy.

"Whoa!" "Low Bridge!"

Luckily, this time we were able to prep ourselves for some skillful maneuvering, and by that, I mean we performed our own versions of ground-slides right under the box! The two men made sounds of panic-turned-awe, while we straightened up on the other side and called back over our shoulders as we kept moving,

"Sorry, guys!" "Sorry!"

They just shot us mixed smiles of forgiveness and annoyance before getting back on task...We meanwhile, continued on our way to school while praising eachother for our slick moves.

"That was an awesome slide you did with your scooter, Jamal!"

"Me? You're the one light on your feet, Addy! You were practically burnin' rubber!"

"Not according to the screeches of your wheels!"

We both laughed aloud, and Astral floats a bit closer to me as he comments,

"The both of you had rather substantial timing...but would it not have been easier to have gone around?"

"Heh, maybe, but the challenge in not crashing was more fun."

He looks at me incredulously, but does not choose to argue about it...

Eventually, Jamal and I made it to school, meeting Tiffany in the main courtyard as she comes off the monorail. I noticed that she was wearing her square-shaped, lemon yellow-framed glasses today.

 _Must've lost her contacts again..._

As it turned out, we had about ten minutes before class even after I did a quick wardrobe change into my uniform, so we spent our free moment sitting on some of the arena steps chatting about random topics, eventually circling on Astral and the Number Cards.

"So, these new XYZ monsters that have been showin' up at random the past few days are actually a part of Astral's memory?"

I nod to Tiffany and say,

"Yeah, and we're not talking like a few dozen or anything: Apparently, there's ninety-nine of them altogether."

Jamal and Tiffany's eyes bulge out in surprise from the amount:

"Ninety-nine?!"

"Holy-That's alot of cards...!"

I don't deny nor argue, leaving my friends to exhale their breath before Jamal asks,

"So, out of curiousity, what does Astral remember so far? I'd ask him directly, but heh, it's not like I can actually hear him. (Looks around) No offense, wherever you're standing, Astral!"

I look up on my right where the blue being was really standing, noticing his expression almost seemed to reflect amusement from Jamal's address. He then focuses on me, knowing what I was about to ask, and nods as a go-ahead to tell my friends what he's already told me.

...But just before I could:

"Addy! He-He~y, how's it goin', buddy?"

A boy from our year who was at least a foot or so shorter than we wearing round, green glasses comes rushing over with an eager smile and tone.  
I tilted my head to the side in confusion, not recognizing his face:

 _Huh. Strange, I don't remember seeing this kid before..._

 _Must have different classes._

"Um, it's goin', and you are...?"

"The name is Flip! And I take quite a bit of pride in that name, because I believe everything has a Flip-side! My right, as my left; my front, my back; my frowny face as, my smiley face. See?"

 _(Sweatdrop) Boy, he sure knows how to yap..._

"Please to meet ya."

I snapped out of my weirded-out thoughts and mutter back,

"Uh, yeah, same."

"Oh yeah, before I forget, I have a little somethin' for ya, Addy..."

He, Flip, then pulls a Duel Monster Card out of his pants pocket to present:

"It's an XYZ Monster, Baby Tiragon."

My brow raises and I ask,

"And, you're just giving it to me, right out of the blue?"

"Yep. For taking down that bully, Shark. Go on, Addy, don't be shy: Take it. It can be a symbol of our new friendship."

...I would have believed him, but there was something in the way his smile shifted, and the way my friends were looking at him that was making me feel suspicious.

 _Hmm...it sounds more like he's trying to persuade me rather than be sincere._

 _...What's his angle?_

Folding my arms, I ask him,

"This is the first time we've really met, Flip, and you're just willing to part with one of your cards? (Small smirk) You're not tryin' to con me into a favour, are you?"

I meant it in a more joking manner, but he seemed to take it more seriously based on the slight break in his smile that exposed faint panic. He quickly covered it up with a grin and replies with a laugh,

"O-Of course not. You've got nothin' to worry about, Addy! Just reach out and take the card."

"Well...if you're sure."

But just as I move to throw this kid a bone, my hand was stopped by Tiffany's as she then says,

"Addy, we should get a move on before class starts."

"Huh? Uh, alright. (Glances back) Sorry, Flip, maybe another time?"

His smile falters, but he nods all the same as my friends then both tug me along in the direction for class...Once we were a good distance from Flip, I gently pull my hands free and ask,

"Okay, not that I didn't sense anything myself, but how come you two were lookin' at Flip like he was the neighbourhood menace?"

They hesitate, but Jamal explains,

"It's because he is, or more like he's the school prankster. Remember last year when we all weren't in the same class?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, while you were by yourself, Tiff and I wound up sharing the same class as Flip, and found out that he's a real troublemaker. He's always up to doin' the wrong thing."

Tiffany nods in confirmation and adds with a somewhat sad smile,

"Flip was the one who caused the lunchbox mishap during the fall of that year. That's why Jamal and I asked to share with you a few times."

 _That was him?!_

I looked back in the direction he was currently standing, now a bit more on alert.

"Hm...then I guess my intuition was bang-on this round...Still, I have a sneaking suspicion the card offer's not gonna be dropped so quick."

My friends nod in agreement, and I look to see that Astral was eyeing Flip in suspicion too.

 _Oh great, even he's not trusting the kid...Now I definitely know somethin's up._

Flip's POV

I watched as Tiffany and Jamal pull Addy away from me, still a bit surprised by the question she asked.

 _Hm, on the other hand, I should've expected she'd be suspicious of anything that sounds like luring..._

I then focus down on Baby Tiragon while thinking to myself,

 _You may have resisted the bait this time, Addy, but just like a coin, fate won't always land in your favour._

 _(Smirk) Soon, I'll be taking you down!_

Small Time Skip, No POV

"So as you can plainly see, finding the percentage in this vial of sand is easy when you..."

Soon enough, it would be the trio's Math Class, and as Addy and her friends were listening in on their teacher while taking notes, inside the girl's key, Astral was doing some investigating of his own aboard the strange, gold-metaled machine standing in the middle of the desert-like space.

"This is a complex structure. What is its purpose?...But more importantly, what role does Athena play?"

(...Glow)

"Uh!"

That was when one of the pieces emits a ring of light towards him, and he floats up to take a closer look, only to find the numeral symbol for Number 17: Leviathan Dragon!

"Oh my...Could this be...?"

He holds out his palm, reflecting the same golden numeral from his palm, it surrounded by a black haze, before it blasts onto the structure piece, creating a blinding flash of golden yellow light, which activates a part of the intertwining gears to start moving!

...Back in the outside world, Math Class ends with Athena the last one out the door, only to run into Flip with the Baby Tiragon card.

"Hey, Addy! Here's your card!"

But she would immediately be pulled away by Tiffany:

"Come on, Addy, English!"

"Whoa!"

A while later, she would be exiting the bathroom after asking for a pass:

"Heh, that's what I get for over-hydrating..."

A familiar face would then pop out from the boy's bathroom seconds after:

"Addy!"

"Whah! Flip!"

"Your ca~rd!"

But his plans would be foiled again, this time by Jamal who floor-slides between Flip and the door before grabbing Athena's hand to tug her along.

"Better hurry back, or the Missus will be mad!"

"When'd you ask for a pass, Jamal?!"

...And then during a block change as the red-eyed girl grabs her things for Gym from her locker, she would find Flip had been standing behind her door.

"Your card!"

"Flip!"

This time, both of her friends appeared to take her away:

"Let's go!" "Time for Gym!"

"Ah!"

As they jogged along, with Athena sandwiched between Jamal and Tiffany and her arms wrapped in theirs, the latter says to her,

"Try to keep your guard up more, Addy."

She in turn replies with a smirk-glare,

"Yeah, I would...except I'm not sure who to keep my guard up to."

Meanwhile, Flip was sulking in irritation on a bench outside one of the school's buildings from his plans being botched.

"Curses...Tiffany and Jamal won't let me anywhere near Addy, and even so, she'd more than likely still be suspicious. I'm gonna have to change my strategy a bit..."

"(Groan) I've lost my XYZ Monster. Has anyone seen it?"

Just then, another first-year boy with short, spiky brown-black hair and dim blue eyes comes passing while peering around for a card he apparently misplaced. Flip recognized him immediately:

 _Hey: That's Spencer. He has a class with Addy._

 _(Smirk) I can use him._

Using his manipulation skills, he cons the poor unsuspecting Spencer into a deal...

"What? Are you for real?"

"Absolutely!"

He shakes the shorter boy's shoulders excitedly before cheering,

"Then you've got yourself a deal! Yes! This must be my lucky day!"

Flip watches him with a sneaky grin and thinks to himself,

 _Yet another Flip-side: This kid loses something, and I find my plan._

Time Skip, Fujina Residence  


(Ka-chank)

"I'm home, everyone!"

Just as she makes that greeting, Athena's older brother Terry comes over from the living room with a stern expression, indicating that he wasn't happy about something.

"Athena. Didn't we have a talk that you'd do more homework and less Dueling?"

She replies with an annoyed but as serious expression,

"We did, and I have. Check my report cards if you don't believe me."

"Then why did I find this in the mail today?"

The redheaded male then tosses the girl with long black hair tipped copper-red a letter, who catches it with one hand before peering down at it.

"Hm? 'To my Dueling Hero, Athena. From your Biggest Admirer.'...Huh, fan-mail? Why would I of all people be-"

She stops herself when she sees the unimpressed facial features her brother was displaying, and lets out a breath before stating,

"Okay, look: I don't know why I got this, nor do I know anyone crazy enough to give me such a letter."

"But this does mean you are Dueling, doesn't it?"

Fed up with the interrogation routine, Athena snaps back with some attitude,

"And so what if I am?!"

"Athena!"

"No! Don't you Athena me, Terry! I don't understand why you've been acting like this, anyway: I'm well-aware that Dueling has a danger factor in it, but you never used to be this antsy about it! It's like...(Glare) It's like you're comparing it to _that place_."  


Terry immediately froze up from the cold address...

"That's it, isn't it? You're being overprotective because of what I used to do, those, people I used to hang out with and fight...You think that and Dueling are both tearing at me."

"...Addy-"

"Don't even bother trying to cover it up. I can see it clear as day...and you're a fool if you think Dueling is just as dangerous! It's one of the few things that brings me any form of joy since those dark days! That place..."

She looks down, her hair curtaining her face, fist clenched:

"I made a terrible choice back then, I won't deny that, but I'm refusing to let it weigh me down. You seem to be doing the complete opposite, however: You're letting it blind you, make you believe that there's a chance of finding the Athena before those days...before I changed..."

Athena turned to leave up the stairs, looking back once with a grim, pitying expression at her brother.

"That innocent girl is gone, Terrence. I've woken up to the harsh reality of it a long time ago, but you need to drop your tunnel vision."

"A...Addy..."

With that, she makes her way up the stairs to her room, unaware that a certain blue being had appeared before the more heated part of the conversation, and was left almost as stunned as Terry, before making his way after her, curious for answers to the missing parts of this new information...

Meanwhile, the redheaded male shakes himself out of his stupor come the deep sigh and hand-clap on his shoulder from the other young man of the house, Adam, who along with their Grandfather, Homare, listened in from the kitchen.

"Terry, I warned you that the forbidding wasn't a good idea..."

"I know...You did...and I didn't listen."

"And I know you didn't have hostile intentions in why you went through with that plan...But she's right: We can't, you can't stay dwelling in the past forever. Athena isn't that little wide-eyed girl anymore. (Sad smile) Don't get me wrong; there's a selfish part of me that doesn't want her to grow up so quickly the way she is nowadays...but I also know that trying to slow her down won't help."

Terry looks at Adam with a mild glare traced with helplessness:

"So then what the hell are we suppose to do? Because...I just, I don't want to almost lose her again."

"The only thing we can do, is be there when she needs us, and trust her to make the right decisions."

"Adam is right."

The young men turn to their grandfather, who adds with a sip from his teacup,

"It won't help any to play helicopter like she's only three years old. She chose to engage in a hard lesson after she was found, and one that none of us wanted her to go through...but at least Athena is now smarter to the dangers in this world...and Dueling, will eventually teach her that as well."

As the elder was making such a blunt point, we catch up now with Athena who had decided to climb up into the attic rather than lay on her bed, her mood having took a rather downward drop after that argument with her brother. She's now sitting on the hardwood floor of said room, laying with her back against an old antiquity chest (which would be among other mysterious artifacts collected over the years by her missing parents) and running a hand over her face while trying to cool her frustrations.

 _Damn brother of mine...Why can't he listen, understand?_

 _Dueling isn't dangerous for me...at least nowhere half as dangerous as that activity I used to participate in..._

She then finally acknowledges Astral's presence, glancing up and widen her eyes slightly.

"Oh! Astral...I didn't see you come out...Um, you didn't, by chance...hear all of that, did you?"

The expression on his face told her all she needed to...Athena turns away from his stare and mumbles,

"Damn," before remembering the letter that was still in her hand:

"Hm? Oh, that's right, this letter...I wonder who this admirer is, and how they heard about me? I mean, I know that my duel against Shark has generated some buzz around school, but not likely this much..."

"So. Tell me why your brother does not want you Dueling."

That question caught her off-guard a little bit, and she looks back up at Astral...before answering with narrowed eyes directed to the floor,

"Because he's being way too overprotective, that's why. I would've thought that conversation you listened in on would tell you enough."

"Perhaps, but it also left more questions than answers. For example, you spoke of Dueling as one of the few things that brings you joy. Why is that?"

"...Because it's the truth."

Astral's eyes widen a little, as Athena runs a hand through her hair with a sigh before moving to sit on top of the chest, feeling some nerves beginning to pick up as she prepares herself for one conversation she almost wish to never have with the former.

"I...I've lost my happiness, my true happiness, since that day a year and a half ago."

"You've lost it? I do not understand."

"I know. (Deep breath) I was, hoping it would be a long while longer before I'd have to tell you this, but I might as well get the first part over with before I become too afraid to...You recall earlier today, when I told you about my metabolism spikes, right?"

"Yes?"

"...It's not some miracle mutation of nature. It was caused by some really bad people, who...who kidnapped me when I was eleven, two years ago."

The blue being lets out a startled breath:

"Uh! Kidnapped? You mean...you were taken?"

"Yes...I, can't remember much from what happened thanks to the trauma, but according to the doctor I visited after I was found by the side of an old road outside the city by Tiffany and her father...I found out I was forcibly injected with a substance that changed some parts of me. It wasn't just my metabolism that changed...I...I had also become virtually immune to physical pain."

Athena looks up with an emotionally-pained expression:

"No matter how injured I may get, I won't ever feel it, except maybe a slight sensation. I could even twist my ankle and almost not know about it until someone points it out. I feel the cause...but not the effect."

"...Athena..."

 _So this is why she does not flinch from pain...because her body can no longer be fully aware of injury._

"...And, you cannot recall who did this to you?"

The long-haired girl shakes her head:

"I've tried, but I can't get a clear-enough picture. All I really remember was getting some groceries for Gramps in the evening, then waking up on Tiffany's lap, battered and bruised but not feeling anything except...like my very humanity, was violated..."

A few tears escape from her eyes, and she struggles to brush them away just as Astral notes in a concerned tone,

"Uh! Athena, you're leaking."

Athena smiles slightly and replies in a tone traced with rawness,

"Heh, no, I'm fine. These are called tears, Astral. I'm, crying, an action humans do when we're feeling overwhelmed by our emotions, mostly the negative ones like sadness and anger."

"Oh..."

The being with mismatched gold and white irises floats closer to her side as he then asks a bit more gently,

"What, is preventing you from remembering? You said something called Trauma; what is that? Is it anything like the Number Cards?"

Sighing slightly, the girl answers in a calmer but quiet tone,

"The best way I can explain Trauma is...When a person experiences a particularly frightening event, sometimes this part of the brain will activate, creating a, 'safety shield' to block the memory away so they won't be overtaken by it. It's a, protection instinct that's neither good nor bad."

"I see...So there is a barrier inside your mind, blocking that day in your memories."

"Yeah...It's not a major guarantee, though: Some people can become traumatized beyond help and will usually descend into madness...I on the other hand, took a rather, extreme measure to cope, and while I might have touched madness, I somehow pulled myself out of that dark hole back to reality...But it changed me."

Athena turns her red irises down to her knees:

"I've lost my ability to be happy, truly happy with myself and my life. I can fake it, but it's not the same. It's really a miracle I can get up and face each morning without wanting to crawl back under the covers of my bed and hide."

"Hm...and what was this extreme measure you took to, cope with the trauma?"

"That, I don't want to talk about."

"Athena-"

"At least...not today."

She looks up again to meet Astral's eyes with hers, her face set an expression that made her look more aged and worn-down that she really was.

"I've amazed myself already with, being brave enough to talk about my kidnapping and the injection again...but, I'm not quite ready to talk about the aftermath following. When I am, though, you'll be the first person I talk to...That sound fair?"

He stares at Athena for a moment...before nodding firmly.

"Alright...When you're ready."

She offers her a minuscule smile of gratitude:

"Thank you for understanding...So, anyway."

Relaxing herself some, the girl turns the topic back on the letter in her hands:

"I may as well open this and see what it's about."

As she began opening the letter, Astral watches her with a careful eye and thinks to himself,

 _Observation Number Eight: Trauma, is one of the more mysterious and dangerous human emotions. It can protect...yet at the same time, it can also harm._

"Huh? Hey, it's Baby Triagon."

Athena was now looking at the very card that's been avoiding her hand until now, which was tucked into the envelope along with a holographic message.

"It looks an awful-lot like the one Flip was trying to give me all day...Is it just a coincidence, or...is it..."

(Beep)

"Hm?"

Her thoughts were interrupted by the holographic letter opening on its own, revealing the image of a young girl, back turned with shoulder-length, velvet-red hair and a lotus flower behind her ear, and wearing a cream-pink dress that wrapped like a shrug around her shoulders.

 _"Hi, Addy! I saved up for a year to get you this. I hope you like it!"_

That was all the message said, before it faded away back into the letter...  
Athena hms with a frown at it, before turning eyes back on the card:

"Well that was odd...This person has supposingly known me for a long while, and decides now to give me a card without rhyme or reason aside from my barely-existing dueling record?"

She looks up at Astral with a confused expression:

"Am I the only one here who finds this strange, or are you also feeling suspicious?"

"I too find this odd...that, and you actually admitted to barely having a good dueling record."

Athena caught the hint of a tease at the end of the being's sentence, and smirk-glares at him.

"Ha ha, very funny...But seriously, this XYZ monster coming to me in a letter after Flip was working his ass off trying to give it to me at school but failed each time? (Shakes head) Can't be a coincidence. Something's goin' down with that kid...For now, though, I shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth."

She looks down at the monster in her hand and quirks,

"I dunno how I can use 'im, but I'm willing to at least give Baby Tiragon a try."

...Unbeknownst to Athena, Flip himself was standing against the brickwork that made the Fujina Residence fence, and had barely caught her words regarding the letter through the open window of the attic. He frowned slightly when he heard the skepticism:

"Shoot. Addy's a bit more clever than I thought...Still, she's taking the card, (smirk) which means I've got her right where I want her."

He leaves the area for his own home, and we later find him in his bedroom working on another part of his scheme using his duel disk.

"But that card was just the start: Next, the plan is to get her all alone an friendless...then she will be at my mercy!"

Time Skip, Athena's POV

Last night definitely had an awkward atmosphere mixed with tension, more so at the dinner table: I couldn't even look Terry in the eyes as I ate, and I figured out that Adam and Grandpa had heard our spat, so they weren't gonna be much help in filling the silence.

I dunno if anything I said actually broke through that bullheaded brother of mine and his insistent campaign to put the breaks on my Dueling, but something was obviously dented if he felt no reason to talk to me at all. I do regret the tone I used with him...but I won't apologize for my words; they had to be said.

Meanwhile...I've also been feeling a bit, shy in meeting Astral's eyes after our chat last night. Not in a bad way, just, strange.

I'd almost say I felt this, connection pass after I unveiled a part of my dark days to him...but I'm not completely sure if there was or wasn't. At least he isn't treating me too different, like, with pity or anything. That's the last thing I want him, or basically anyone to do: Feeling sorry for me or the need to walk on eggshells.

...Anyway, all of that would become afterthought issues come time for school, when I entered the room for first class, only to be met with hostility.

"Hey all!"

"Athena!"

I was suddenly met face-to-face with one of my lesser-known-to-me classmates, a girl named, Rika (I think), brunette with short pigtails and bottle-green eyes, who looked positively pissed, along with several other random faces behind her.

"You've certainly got nerve showing your face today after all that you've done!"

My eyes widen from the initial shock, before settling into a narrowed expression of confusion.

"And, what exactly are you accusing me of?"

"Don't you lie! You know very well, so you should at least admit it!"

She then holds up her duel disk to join some others and a few gazers, displaying some rather outrageous photos!

"We were all sent these pictures, the entire school. And I must say, this is shameful even for you: Stomping on the flower displays, pulling pranks on the staff, cheating during exams! The worst one was definitely this, (holds up her disk) when you took Spencer's lunch and replaced it with a frog!"

 _What the hell?!_

I form an incredulous look of anger:

"I'm sorry, since when have any of you known me to pull off childish antics like these?! And where is Spencer, anyway? I bet you don't even have his side of the story!"

"That's where it gets weirder: Spencer's not here."

I turn left and see Tiffany and Jamal, along with a rather conflicted-looking Caswell who was casting eyes between us and the ticked-off mob.

"He's more than likely sick at home or whatever, but still..."

"Still, we're with Addy: There's no way she'd pull off stupid stuff like that! Right, Cas?...Caswell?"

He doesn't answer Jamal right away, looking nervously at the angry kids, before meeting my eyes with an apologetic and questioning expression.

"Well, I..."

 _...Come on, Caswell, I thought we made a deal not to judge on face-value._

 _Don't go back on it now._

He must've somehow understood my silent plea, for he closed his pear-green eyes with a swallow, and nodded slightly, saying he was on our side. Rika was appalled that our class representative wasn't on hers:

"Auh, seriously, you too, Caswell?! You're actually gonna believe them over these pictures?!"

"You mean the ones that are more-than-likely fakes?"

She whirls back to me, as I form a grim smile and say to her along with the rest of the mob following,

"You and the rest of this lot are choosing to believe something you've only just got, an image, and not the person you've known from before now, the real deal...Wow. That definitely says alot about this school's beliefs, being bias and not as open-book as I thought it was."

"Uh..."

That shut her up, and everyone else began to form shamed expressions, as I finish while passing them to sit down at my desk with a frown,

"I think I have an idea who might really be doing this...but since you all want to believe I'm a little menace with no objective other than to cause trouble, go ahead. See if I care...Just don't come cryin' to me with your apologies once you find out how wrong you are about judging someone without really knowing them."

...I get no response, as everyone broke away into their own little circles, murmurs filling the room, while I hear a few sets of footsteps approach me, belonging to the only three people who were smart enough not to let some dumb photos say who I was.

"Addy..."

"You okay?"

"Athena...In the end, I don't what to say, except...you're right."

I look up at them and flash a slight smile:

"I'm fine, and...thanks for not following the in-crowd, Cas."

...It was then I felt this pair of eyes staring into my back, and I turn around to see the true culprit behind this new mess staring at me with a wide-eyed gape, and I shoot him a challenging smirk.

 _Not that easy to make a bad rep outta me, boy. I dare you to keep trying, though._

Small Time Skip

Eventually, the day came and gone so I didn't have to deal with the stink eyes being thrown my way at school by the students. I would also say the teachers, but somehow Caswell managed to vouch for my innocence to these strange events and made a promise to find the real culprit responsible for the viral pics.

 _I definitely owe him big time for that..._

I'm now sitting on a bench in the mall, taking a break from wandering around, wearing a simple outfit of a light blue tank-top with my black leather jacket, black jeans and white van sneakers (I sometimes have a civilian outfit on standby in my school locker incase I feel the urge to change into something less education-related) while my hair was tied back into a long braid, taking in the air of this more relaxing atmosphere while I still could.

"Much as it kind-a blows most of the school's pissed at me, it's their fault for believing something made completely out of context..."

Astral was out here beside me, and comments,

"Yet the timing seems to be almost impeccable, coming after only yesterday with the events surrounding Flip trying to talk you into taking Baby Tiragon from him, only to find it sent to you by an anonymous source..."

"I was just thinking that myself..."

"...A~ddy!"

 _Huh, speaking of Flip..._

I look up and see the boy of the hour, waving at me with a smile:

"He-He~y, how's it goin'?"

I reply back with a half-smile and stiff nod:

"...Flip."

 _Now, to see if mine...and, to a lesser extent, Astral's amateur detective skills are correct.  
_

I waved the boy over to sit down, and after asking about why I seemed a bit out of it, I told him about what's happened recently at school...

"Wow, it sounds like you've got a bum rap."

As I had suspected, there was a falter in his sympathetic tone, telling me he was using the emotion to cover something, so I string him along further and reply with a sad smile,

"Eh, it's not as bad as it sounds. I'm sure those kids will get their heads out of their asses eventually...Not like it's the first time I've been labelled an outcast, anyway."

"That is not true, Addy. You are no outcast."

I look at him in slight surprise, for his tone seemed less rehearsed that time. He moves to his feet while adding,

"Like I said before, I've liked you ever since you beat Shark. That was one of the best duels ever."

My brow raises as I reply,

"That so? (Light smirk) Tch, come on, you must've hear of better. I'll take the compliment, nonetheless, though..."

Flip smiles and nods, before forming a curious expression as he asks,

"By the way, what was that card you used to take down Shark? You know, uh..."

 _He doesn't know?...Or is this another feign?_

"...Utopia."

"(Sheepish smile) Oh, ri~ght, that was it!"

"Or rather, that's what you wanted to know, am I right?"

"Huh?"

He looks at me confused, and I inquire knowingly,

"You're curious of the card's sudden appearance, its power, and how I was able to use it and make a seemingly impossible comeback against Shark in that duel. You want to know how someone with a dueling rep like mine suddenly got good enough to take down another with a stronger title."

I frown as I stand up and fold my arms while finishing,

"And to do so, you decided to employ some rather dirty tricks to get my attention, make most of the student body turn on me save my two close friends and Caswell, just so we could end up alone here and now. Am I right or wrong?"

Flip's eyes bulge with shock at my interrogation...before he suddenly smirks and replies with a laugh,

"Wo~w, didn't realize you were that clever. But then again, that look you shot me before first class should've given it away. Not bad, Addy, not bad."

"So it was you who sent those photos around the school. Doctored, I'm guessing?"

"Yep! I had to get you alone somehow, Addy. Didn't expect that speech you gave, but then again, this isn't a new issue for you, is it, being judged by total strangers?"

I smile grimly and nod, not denying that:

"No, it's not...What I can't seem to understand though is the XYZ monster you gave me."

Reaching into my deck, I pull out Baby Tiragon to hold out between my fingertips:

"I don't really care how you persuaded that mystery girl (least I'm hoping that was a different person...) to send it to me through an anonymous letter. What I really wanna know, is what part does this little guy have to play in your scheme?"

"Hmph. How about we have a duel and you can find out?"

"A duel?"

"Why yes. In fact, old pal, I insist upon it."

That mischievous grin on his face was giving me a slight shiver down my spine, like something in the air was trying to steer me away. It seems I wasn't the only one feeling it either:

"I have a bad feeling about this duel. I think you should pass."

I turned to Astral with a look as serious and reply,

"Not saying you're wrong...but I think dueling may be the only way to get the full story out of Flip. Besides, he's obviously not gonna stop his trickery until we do duel, so the sooner I get it over with, the sooner both of us can move on with our lives."

He puts a finger under his chin and thinks over my reasoning:

"Hm...That is a fair point. And he seems rather interested in the Numbers, which may not be a good thing considering his Aura."

"His, Aura?"

 _Does Astral sense something else in Flip I don't?_

"Uuh, Addy, who're you talking to?"

 _Oh crap!_

I suddenly remembered that in Flip's eyes, it was just him and me here, so I quickly turn around and reply with a sheepish smile,

"Ueh, it's nothing important; just thinking aloud. Anyway, (playful smirk) let's get this duel on, and add to the history pages!"

I ready my dueling equipment, right down to my gazer, before calling on the AR:

"Duel Interface: Show me the impossible!"

 **Augmented Reality Vision Link Established.**

"(Both duelists) Let's duel!"

Flip's gazer was one of those types that wrapped around his glasses, which admittingly, I thought was cool...But I digress. Anyway, he would make the opening move:

"I'll go first if it's okay. Here goes: Draw! I place a monster face-down in Defense Mode! That's it for this round!"

"Hm, going with a safe strategy, are ya?"

"I better play it safe when I'm going up against a duelist as good as you, Addy."

 _Huh, still using some of the act, hm?_

"I believe your opponent's praise is masking his true motives."

I glance back at Astral and reply,

"You see that too, huh? Eh, doesn't really matter if he wants to play flattery; we already know he's up to something. Our main focus for now should be on the duel."

 _And it's starting on a mystery note, too: With the monster face-down plus in Defense Mode, it'll be a gamble to attack it head on if I so choose to._

"Alright, writer's pen to me: I Draw! I better make sure my first monster has decently-high offensive power...I summon, Gagaga Magician!"

Being a Level Four with 1500 Attack Points, my magic-user usually gives me a good start in every duel.

"Okay, Gagaga: Attack the monster face-down!"

"Porcupine Fish, appear!"

Flip's monster suddenly makes itself known, its appearance akin to that of a fish skeleton with thorns all over the bones, but much to my mild surprise, it wasn't as strong as I expected it would be.

 _Huh? Level One with 400 Defense Points?_

"Hmph, that'll be easy for my magician to overcome...too easy..."

"Flip Effect, activate!"

"Flip Effect?!"

Flip jokes as he explains,

"You must've missed that day at school, Addy: It's a special ability that activates when a monster that's face-down is flipped face-up! Wanna know what its Flip Effect is? You now take 400 points of damage!"

I cringe back from the spikes that are shot my way, my Life Points dropping but remaining a strong 3600.

"That's fine. A small price to pay so Gagaga Magician can take your monster down."

On that note, my magician lands a hard punch in the skeletal fish's muzzle, before it cracks to pixelized dust!

"My monster!"

"Is saying 'see ya'. I end my turn."

Opening the gazer chat screen into the projections, Flip compliments,

"Well played, but I expected no less. (Cheer) Still, I took away Life Points from the mighty Athena Fujina! Yea-hah, the duelist who took down the infamous Shark!"

My brow raises and I sweatdrop from his excitement, which seemed a bit overacted.

 _Sheesh, won't he drop it all and be more serious?_

I hear Astral comment,

"Interesting. So he is a Flip-Effect Monster user."

 _Damn...That means there's gonna be more than one surprise I have to watch out for..._

 _But whatever. I'll take on any if it means I'll find out all of Flip's motives._

Tiffany's POV

"Okay, thank you."

(Ka-chank)

Shortly after we parted from Addy after school, Jamal, Caswell and I went over to Spencer's house to find out if he had in fact stayed home sick, but wound up getting the opposite story.

We're now standing overlooking one of the street balconies, trying to figure out what's going on.

"This is getting stranger. Spencer's mom said he went to school today with no problems..."

"And yet no one at school has seen him at all..."

"In the end, this is a rather perplexing mystery...Unless..."

I look up at Caswell, my brain likely syncing with his on an idea that came to me at the same time it did his.

"The photos!"

"Maybe they really are fakes and have a clue to who's really to blame!"

Jamal looks back and forth between us and asks hopefully,

"You two think you can find out?"

I nod with a determined smile matching Caswell's:

"I'm certain we can!"

"Yes! Anything that will clear Addy's name...After she helped me out of my own trouble, it's the least I can do."

With that, I grab out my gazer while he takes out his disk so we could search for the pictures.

Back to the Mall, No POV

"My turn! Here I go! I play a monster face-down in Defense Mode!"

The card's projection materializes onto the field space, while Athena starts thinking over her counter play against Flip.

 _Another face-down...No doubt he's tryin' to get the jump with another Flip-Effect._

"And I'll end my turn with two face-downs!"

As the boy yields and the girl gets the green light, Astral thinks to himself,

 _Athena had better be careful: Flip's field is stacked._

"Me next again: I Draw! First I summon, Flelf!"

Level Two with 800 Attack Points and 1300 Defense Points, this monster had the appearance of a undercover agent from medieval fantasy.

"And I'll send him in to skewer your face-down monster."

The blue being was not pleased with such a move:

"But Athena! Do you not recall what happened last time?!"

"Of course I do, but it's fine: I can handle Flip-Effect damage...Once Flelf takes care of that mystery monster, it'll leave Flip open to being directly attacked by Gagaga Magician."

He could see that Athena had a serious expression, which said that she did think this method through...

"(Sigh) Very well, if that is your choice." Nodding, she faces up front and commands,

"Go, Flelf: Attack the face-down monster!"

Flip watches the charging elf coming his direction with a grin:

 _Yes, please do..._

"Chew-bone, appear!"

The monster to flip right-side would be a boned beast at Level Three with 300 Defense Points.

"And now, for Chew-bone's Flip Effect: With it, I can summon up to three Chew-bone Juniors like it from my hand onto your field in Defense Mode!"

Three pieces of the monster's spinal cord spring out and form into three Level One beasts with 300 Defense Points onto Athena's side of the field, much to her surprise.

"Huh? On my side, you say?"

 _What the heck is he doin'?_

Even so, Flelf would defeat Chew-Bone in three smooth strokes of its long blade...

"So cool! Did you see how I pulled that sweet summoning off?"

"Uh, yeah, 'cept there's a problem with your method, dude: They can't help ya if they're acting as shields for me on my side."

"What? On your side?"

Flip holds his head in shame:

"Aw nuts, I misunderstood the effect!"

But Astral wasn't buying the act, and neither was Athena:

"So you say..."

"Misunderstood, eh? Hm...not sure if I can believe that, but a move's a move, can't take it back."

She then calls out,

"Alright, Gagaga, way's all clear: Attack Flip directly!"

The spellcaster lunges forward and socks a fist into Flip's torso, knocking him backwards with a yelp as his Life Points drop to 2500.  
Athena smirks slightly as she notes the differences in the score so far:

"Keh, looks like I'm in the lead, for now at least...Okay, that'll be my tu-"

"Whoa, wait! Hooold up there!"

"Hm?"

Athena stops herself as Flip then asks,

"Aren't you gonna summon your XYZ Monster?"

"My XYZ?...Oh, that's right: Thanks to your flop, I can use your monsters to bring out Baby Tiragon!...But wait..."

Athena narrows her eyes in suspicion:

"Why are you so eager for it to come onto the field?"

Flip panics out an answer:

"Uh, guh, I mean, why not?! D-Didn't you wanna find out why I wanted you to have the monster? Why it has a role in my scheme?"

"Hm...that's true...Tell you what: Will you finally shut down your whole act if I throw you a bone and summon the XYZ out?"

The boy hms in thought, before nodding with a small smirk:

"Sure, Addy. Just bring 'im out and I'll let the curtain drop."

Meanwhile, Astral was thinking further on the insistence and this duel's progress so far:

 _There is no doubt Athena is being set up, and she is aware...But why?_

That's when it hits him, as he focuses on one of the face-downs:

 _Wait a moment! Of course!_

"I overlay all three Level One Chew-bone Juniors!"

"No!"

But he was just a second too late to stop the girl from finishing the summon:

"Building the Overlay Network, I XYZ summon, Baby Tiragon! Come on out, little warrior!"

A giant lime green crystal formation shoots out from the summoning vortex, before exploding in a cloud of smoke to reveal the monster of the hour: They were rather small compared to most XYZ monsters, Level One with 900 Attack and Defense Points, and had the appearance of a young dragon with mixed features of an imp and a tiger's colour scheme, their eyes big and innocent with irises just a shade or two lighter than Athena's, holding reluctance and nerves in being here.

Said girl felt her heart ache slightly at the sight:

 _Oh wow...he's really cute...But, he looks so sad._

 _Does he not like to battle much, or...maybe he hasn't been with a good duelist._

She smiles gently at the little monster, and kneels down to meet its eye-level.

"Hey there, Baby Tiragon. My name's Athena, or Addy for short. It's nice to meet you, and I hope we can be a good team today."

Said monster widens its eyes slightly in surprise, and almost forms a smile back, while Astral watches the scene in his own version of awe.

 _How strange...I've never seen Athena behave this way to her other monsters during a duel before..._

It would all be interrupted to the tune of Flip's laughter, as he points to Athena while jeering,

"You actually went through it, even with your suspicions! I dunno whether to call you dumb or brave!"

Said girl with red irises straightens up and asks with a frown,

"I did, so what's the big deal?"

"The big deal is that my right face-down is the Trap card, Ultra-C!"

Astral mutters the name with a worried tone as the wielder of the trap explains the details.

"Thanks to Ultra-C, when Baby Tiragon is summoned to your field, I can summon one XYZ Monster to my field. Oh, and there's one more thing: I have to summon it straight from your deck!"

"Just like that? Seriously?!"

"Yep...which means Utopia, is all mine! You summoning Baby Tiragon to the field was the worst thing that could've happened to you!"

Athena cringes, but looks down to see the look on the said monster's face shift to shame and regret, and wonders,

 _Oh...You poor thing, is that all Flip uses you for? As a trick?_

"Flip planned this from the very start."

She turns to Astral as he then says,

"In order to get you to summon Baby Tiragon, he purposely summoned those three Chew-bone Juniors to your field."

"...I feel more sorry for Tiragon."

Astral forms a look of confusion, as Athena mutters sadly,

"I can tell from his expression: This little guy's been used as a tool of tricks more than once, never getting a real chance to fight like a monster should in a duel...which isn't fair at all. Everyone should have a chance to fight when they get it."

"Athena..."

"On a different but related note..."

She looks up with a glare at Flip and asks,

"Does this mean then it really was you who sent me the letter, in a disguise no less?"

His grin widens slightly as he replies,

"That's right!"

"But all of this, the tricks, the decit. Why, Flip?"

"Like I said already, I needed to get you alone, Addy. I knew that if you would be down from being disowned by your friends, you'd allow me into your circle...Though that didn't go according to plan, you nonetheless accepted the duel!"

"There's more, isn't there? You want something from me...It's Utopia, isn't it? You want him, don't you?"

Flip's smugness fades a bit from Athena's conclusion, suggesting she was right, and he nods.

"I do...I want to find out how its power gave you power over Shark! If it can make you a winner, it can do it for anyone!"

The girl with red irises exclaims mentally,

 _Ugh, I don't believe this!_

Astral's eyes narrow in time with hers:

"What a snake."

"Agreed...but he's not getting Utopia."

Athena calls over strongly to Flip,

"You hear me?! You're not winning this duel, or swiping Utopia from me! I will prevail and protect him from your hands!"

"That's big words comin' from your mouth, but my Trap's nonetheless gonna steal him for this round!"

She grind my teeth in anger, but then hears Astral mutter nervously,

"Utopia is a Number Card. If this duel is lost, I too will be."

Athena glances at him in concern:

 _Astral..._

"Now that we know the stakes, let's get on with the duel, shall we?!"

Flip draws his next card before making his grand play:

"Ultra-C, activate! And with your power, I summon Utopia from Athena's deck!"

The Overlay Network's vortex forms as the bespectacled boy cries out,

"Rise up, Utopia!"

And just like that, Athena would find herself face-to-face with her recently-new main monster standing on Flip's side of the dueling field!

"Shoot...Now the fight's gotten a whole lot rougher..."

 _But I won't back down. If I gotta take down Utopia to save him...then that's exactly what I'm gonna do!  
_


	6. The Flip-side of Life, Part Two

_God damn it all, it just had to be the third duel with these Number Cards where one ends up goin' AWOL on me..._

That would be the irritated thought that passed through Athena's mind as she stared up at Utopia, who was now standing at ready on Flip's side of the dueling field thanks to his Trap Card Ultra-C, which he activated straight after Baby Tiragon was summoned onto hers.

"(Laugh) Sorry, _Addy_ , but Utopia, your best monster is now under my control! And Utopia stays with me as long as it's equipped with Ultra-C! There's no way you can stop me: Victory will be mine and so will your precious Utopia card!"

Athena growls in frustration, but then felt a stare from the new XYZ monster on her side, and looks down to note his saddened expression, before softening her own with pity.

"Oh...Hey, don't look so beat up, Tiragon. You're not to blame for this turn; Flip is for using you, or rather, both of us."

 _May have been my decision to summon the monster, but I still feel played..._

 _Still, no Trap's invincible. There has to be a way to bust it._

...Suddenly, Utopia's body flashes a golden yellow, and Flip is zapped by similar-shaded bolts of energy, before falling to his knees with a outcry of pain!

"Uh! Flip; are you alright?!"

"Urgh-hh... _No, Addy._ _I'm not alright. I'm feeling much, much better than alright!_ "

His body is enveloped by a dark aura, stronger than the one Astral had been seeing previously...Athena shivers and thinks frantically,

 _Uh...! Oh no...Utopia is invading his mind...!_

"Something, t-taking, over...!"

As Flip struggles to move up on his feet again, his opponent catches that faint and ominous whisper as she focuses directly on his form.

 _"Yeeees, let the Number take hooold..."_

 _There it is again: That voice!_

The bespectacled boy's glasses flash over red as he lets out an empowered cry, and Astral notes,

"It seems Flip has been infected by a Number." Athena nods numbly:

"Yeah...and we both know which one too."

And as Flip grins and giggles darkly, the back of his right hand becomes imprinted by numeral 39! Astral lets out an almost silent gasp, feeling some other force pass through him, as Athena curses,

"Dammit, dammit...Why, Utopia? I was sure you'd be the bigger Number."

"Mmph...mph!"

She then whirls around when she hears the blue being make sounds of pain, and widens her eyes when she sees him on one knee rather than floating upright!

"Astral!"

"Mrh...My, my body..."

Several rings of light similar to his skin pigment suddenly shoot to surround him like a barrier, while the floor beneath him emitted a wave-like icy light, and his body a ghostly aura...Athena wonders a bit spooked,

"W-What's going-What's happening to you?...Ah!"

That's when she remembers...

 _(Flash)_

 _"...in a duel, where Number Cards are used, the winner absorbs the loser's Number Cards."_

 _(Flash)_

"...Son of a-The stakes couldn't be any higher now. Not while Astral's on the brink!"

"...Quit talking to yourself!"

She turns around to Flip's direction as he places his bowler hat back on and adds with a mean grin,

"After all, we have a duel to finish."

Athena thinks to herself,

 _He's got a point: Worrying for Astral won't save him..._

 _The only way this duel's gonna grant my favour is if I take down Utopia. But beating him will require another Number._

 _Thank god I have two more: Leviathan Dragon and Terrorbyte._

She looks at her field:

 _But right now, my current monsters won't be able to help me...which means for now, this is all I can do._

"(Grit) I, end my turn." Flip grins and jeers,

"Giving up already, _Addy_? Lemme show you how a winner does it! Watch and, learn!"

He draws his next card:

"First I think start things off with a bang, or rather, with a slash! Utopia: Attack Flelf!"

And with one cut right down the middle, the elven warrior was gone, leaving Athena to cringe as her Life Points dropped to 1900, making Flip the stronger with his 2500...

"Looks like I've just taken the lead in Life Points. And, I aim to keep it. I now place a monster face-down in Defense Mode! There: That's how you take a turn with some talent! Why don't you try it?"

Athena hmphs and draws her next card while calling back,

"You ask, I deliver! (Looks at her card) Ha, yes! This guy will get the engine revvin'...I summon, Level Three Rai Rider!"

The monster to come to the field would have the appearance of a motorist with 1200 Attack Points.

"Next, I activate Gagaga's ability: He's able to change his Level from One to Eight until the end of the turn. For this duel, he'll be matchin' Rai Rider at Level Three, giving headway for a new XYZ!"

The spellcaster transforms into a ribbon of dark purple light at the same time the motorist does to yellow, their energies twisting together and diving into the Overlay vortex...

"I summon, Number 17: Leviathan Dragon!"

And just like that, the water dragon comes rising onto the field, its roar echoing over the area for all to hear...Flip was surprised to see another XYZ of that like:

"Uuh! Number 17? So then I guess there are a bunch of Numbers. (Grin) All the more for me to snatch up...I activate the Trap Card, Traitor Fog!"

The card flashes upward, as the dueling field is suddenly engulfed in a translucent, purple mist...

"What the-Now what?!"

Flip tugs at his glasses with a flash from the glass as he says,

" _A fog is rollin' in_...and it's about to roll back your Life Points, Addy, because now I gain control over the monster you just summoned!"

"Aw come on!"

A tall, dark figure with red eyes and a manipulative grin shows up at the top of the fog cloud, using marionette strings to steal away a second number for Flip!

"Leviathan!"

Their numeral would appear on the boy's other back of the hand, and he cries out with a smirk,

"Oh, yeah!"

As the Number monster settles onto Flip's side of the field, Athena curses,

"Shoot, now I've got double-trouble on my hands!"

"Drgh...! U-Urgh...!"

If things weren't dire enough, Astral was then encased within a capsule of deep blue energy!  
The girl with red eyes turns to him and adds to herself,

"Not just for me, but for him t-"

(Pulse)

"Uh-hh!"

 _(Flash)_

 _...A blurred, enclosed room..._

 _(Flash)_

 _...A familiar young frame sitting down, rocking back and forth while hugging their knees..._

 _(Flash)_

 _...A freakish scream rings in an echo, making the figure tense..._

 _(Flash)_

...Athena froze on the spot, eyes wide with confusion as her being filled with dread and fear, not understanding what she just saw within her mind.

 _What, the, hell...?!_

Tiffany's POV

As soon as we all decided to have a better look at those compromising photographs, I would be sitting down beside Caswell on a bench as he and I used the laptop function on our duel disks to analyze each one, while Jamal watched from over our shoulders...

And just as we suspected, each image was but a subject of photo-shopping, the unknown sender copying and pasting Addy onto the backgrounds!

"I knew it! These are all fakes!"

"Holy-Talk about editor savvy!"

Caswell notes after Jamal,

"And not just on one, but all of these images were doctored! In the end, Addy has been innocent of these shenanigans this whole time, and someone else is to blame."

"But who is the one doing this?"

Looking at the image of Spencer getting pranked by the frog in his lunchbox, I hum,

"Hm...Let's see if we can contact Spencer and get his side. I'll try his gazer again."

 _Good thing I still have his number from when we were partnered for that English project..._

(Brrring...brrrring...Ping)

This time, he actually answers!

"Spencer! It's me, Tiffany, and Jamal and Caswell."

"(Digital) Huh? Oh, hey there."

"Where are you right now?" Caswell adds over my shoulder,

"We need to speak with you right away; it's important."

"(Digital) Yeah, I've, been busy."

"With what?" "Spencer, please!"

"(Digital) Gotta go; bye!"

And he just hung up...Jamal makes a sound of frustration and mutters,

"Damn, he left us hangin'..."

But I wasn't discouraged, thanks to the bells I heard in the background:

"No worries. Those chimes I heard gave away his location."

I stand up and wave for the boys to follow:

"Come on, we need to head back to the Academy!"

 _Time to get some answers, not just for our piece of mind...but Addy's too._

 _...Hope she's doin' alright._

Athena's POV

 _W-What was that I just saw?!_

 _That figure...they looked an awful lot, like me..._

I felt my heart race a little faster, and I try to calm myself down to get back to reality, my vision clouded in both the outside world...and the blurred image that passed through my head, mixing with Astral's current state.

That's when I began wondering,

 _Is it, possible...that whatever's happening to Astral, triggered something in my trauma-blocked memories?_

 _Am I, remembering more of, the k-kidnapping?_

"...Addy! It's clear that you've already lost-"

Flip stops halfway through his taunt when I turn to face him, noticing the expression of fear that was on my face.

"Huh?...What's up with you?"

 _Wish I knew myself...(Shakes head) Agh, no! I have to stay focused..._

 _Scary as that was, I'll just have to put, whatever I just saw, as an after-problem, least until this duel's done._

Taking a deep breath, I form a calm frown and say to the boy I'm dueling,

"Never mind me. I should be asking you that question: Why do you feel the need to antagonize people, Flip?"

"I'm not the antagonizer, the world is!"

 _Hm?_

"And I learned it the hard way, Addy. You see, I wasn't always like this: I used to be a sap, much like you probably were a time ago!"

Relaxing his stance slightly, Flip begins explaining his life before he became the two-face expert he is today.

"It was way back, when I entered the Duel Monster's World..."

He describes an incident back when he was little, where he was basically sweet-talked into dueling with an ante against some kids older than he was. They said he had nothing to worry about...

"But they were lying: I had plenty to worry about! They knew how to duel...Still, I fell for it over and over again! Soon, I had lost almost all of my cards!...They were nice to my face, but mean behind my back. That's when I realized that there was always something going on, on the Flip-side!"

 _...Oh, Flip..._

"And that's when I decided: I would become the master of the Flip-side!"

I hmmed with a sad frown, almost feeling I could relate to him, in a way.

 _For I too understand the feeling of being conned by bad people...To repeat the unhealthy action, until it's next-to-too late to escape._

Tiffany's POV

"Spencer!"

As soon as we got back to the Academy, we began our search in the main classroom, but didn't see anyone...

"Shoot, not here..."

"He has to be somewhere, Jamal. Let's keep looking."

As we exited the room, Caswell says to us while holding up his duel disk,

"I'll catch up with you two in a bit. I'm going to see the principal to show him the doctoring and ask if he can help with distributing an email to the entire school so Addy's name will be fully cleared."

I flash him an appreciative smile:

"Thanks, Caswell. That'd be great; text one of us when you're done and we'll send you our location."

So as soon as Jamal and I part from him, we then split up to cover more ground, I heading to the library while he searched down some halls.

"Spencer?...Spencer!"

 _Darn it, where is that boy?_

Eventually, after about forty minutes of running around, I met up with Jamal outside the library to trade information.

"Hah, hah...any luck?"

"Nah, I got squat."

"Darn...Wait a second, there is one more place we could try: The old gymnasium."

"Sounds like a plan."

(Beep-beep)

I hear my gazer go off, and pull it out to see a message from Caswell:

"Ah, looks like he's done chatting with the principal and compiling that new email. I'll just text him back where we'll be...Done! Okay, let's go!"

We ran full-speed for ten minutes all the way to the old gym building, meeting with an out-of-breath Caswell just seconds before we reach the front doors. Jamal looks him up and down before patting his back and quirking with a sympathetic smile,

"You really need to work out more, Cas. It's a wonder you're even passing Gym..."

Rolling my eyes slightly, I lead the charge and shove the double-doors open:

"Spencer!"

...And what we found, was that he was setting up a rather, intricate pattern of...dominoes. My burst through the doors wound up startling him, though, and he dropped the one he was about to set, causing the chain reaction to go off until no domino was standing.

 _Oops..._

Spencer bends over with a groan before asking us,

"What do you want? I was so close to being finished!"

I bow in apology and reply,

"Sorry, Spencer. I didn't mean to, um, interrupt...Actually, could you please explain what the heck this is?"

"I'm setting up dominoes. Flip said he'd give me an XYZ Monster if I spent all day in here making this line-up for him."

All three of us blurt,

"Flip said what?!"

I then mutter,

"Now this is starting to make sense..." Jamal agrees:

"Yeah. Flip sent those phony photos out, then tricked Spencer into stayin' here so he couldn't reveal the truth."

Caswell hms and puts a finger under his chin while thinking out loud,

"The only question remaining is his motive: Why?"

...The answer came pretty quickly to all of us:

"A Duel!"

I then remembered,

"Uh! I think Addy said she was gonna go wander the mall after school. (Firm expression) Let's head there first!"

"'Kay!" "Right!"

After dropping a quick apologetic goodbye to Spencer, we all began rushing out from the school in the direction of the shopping center, my firm face hiding the anxiety that was rising within me for my friend.

 _Ooh Addy, please don't be in trouble...!_

Athena's POV

I continued to listen to Flip as he alliterated his life choices that led him to who he is now...

"And so it began: The more I studied the Flip-side, the more I learned. It applied to everything, and I took advantage! If my enemies were pretending to be nice but were truly mean, I would pretend to be fair but would truly cheat...and it worked. I got all my cards back, and something I didn't see coming: Respect. Soon, I developed all sorts of strategies to get what I want with my Flip-side method, and without fail, it always worked! I won at everything, including Duels where winning matters the most!"

...I was appalled by his beliefs:

"Flip...Dueling isn't at all about winning. It's about the feeling of being alive, the joy, doing your damnedest, connecting with your very cards and even your opponents."

"You know who says things like that, Addy? Total losers like you who never win."

"Hmph...I used to have a similar outlook to yours, where winning was the only way to survive. But in my case, that belief...it almost killed me."

That caused a break in his banter and antagonizing expression, and he looks at me in confusion.

"Huh? What do you mean, it almost killed you?"

"Exactly that. At a time ago, I had one foot in the grave...because I chose to follow some people who like for you, only wanted the worst from me."

I clenched my free fist and took in a shuddering breath before adding,

"But...I've moved on from those days. I renewed my faith in finding tomorrow without needing such a cutthroat attitude. (Looks up) And that's what you should've done instead, Flip: Find faith in tomorrow without letting the negative drag you down."

"Uh..."

"We can talk more about it after this duel."

With that, I look down at my current hand to figure out what to do next:

 _Alright. The only Number Monster I have left for my side is Terrorbyte, but I don't have a good time slot to summon him._

 _Hm...I do have Release Lease. That Spell allows me to remove a monster on my field, and add a Level Three to my hand._

I look over on my field, and wound up locking eyes with Baby Tiragon again, feeling conflict rise in my heart.

 _But, do I really want to release Tiragon?_

 _...I'm not sure..._

"...Athena. You must protect Baby Tiragon."

 _Uh! Astral!_

I whirl around to the sound of his voice, which sounded like it was weakening, as he urges,

"It is our only hope..."

...Moving a few steps closer to the trapped being, I kneel down and ask him,

"Astral, are you okay?"

"...Protect, Baby Tiragon."

"But-"

(Pulse)

 _(Flash)_

 _The young frame, rocking back and forth in a calming motion..._

 _(Flash)_

 _Zoom in on the head, as the owner's fists beat on the sides in a frantic manner..._

 _(Flash)_

"Agh!"

I grip the side of my skull as that image came flooding in again, but with a touch more detail this time.

 _What's going on?...Why is this happening now?_

Thankfully, Astral's voice snaps me out of it before I became too distracted:

"...Protect, Tiragon."

"Uh...Astral..."

Swallowing a lump in my throat, I nod firmly and rose to my feet once more, turning to face the battlefield as the monster of conversation looks towards me with, concern...Shaking my head at him with a ghost of a smile, I chide,

"I'm okay, Tiragon...Now then: I'm switching you to Defense Mode!"

That's when I saw a smile appear on his face for the first time, and he begins flying around in a small circle while crying out in excitement as he switches to displaying 900 Defense Points. I almost felt a more real smile appear on my own face seeing how happy he looked, knowing he was glad to be acknowledged by someone who cared, before I finish up this turn.

"I place one card face-down and end my turn. Back to you, Flip."

"And it will be the last card that you play! (Grins and laughs) 'Cause now it's my turn, and that means you're, (swipe) through! I activate Leviathan Dragon's ability: And now, Addy, by using up one of its Overlay Units, Leviathan gains 500 Attack Points!"

One bite down on such a power boost, and said dragon's Attack Points rose to 2500.

"Next I'm going to do a Flip-Summon!"

"Flip-Summon? I'm guessing that's related to Flip Effects?"

"That's right: I can turn a monster that's face-down and in Defense Mode face-up! O~h, and I can change it to Attack Mode as well...See for yourself: Rise, Flipangutan!"

And just like that, the card face-down on Flip's side rose to reveal a Level Four primate with highlighted bone features in Attack Mode with 800 Attack Points and 1600 Defense Points.

"Now to use Flipangutan's Flip Effect: It switches your monster from Defense Mode to Attack Mode!"

The monster swings over and under the bone vault on its hind legs before sending a sound wave against Baby Tiragon, who lets out a cry before being knocked to the ground, its eyes swirling with dizziness as it shifts back to Attack Mode.

"Oh! Baby Tiragon!"

"Now go! Make that baby go boom, Leviathan Dragon! Shock-Stream Blast!"

 _Good thing I laid down that other card!_

"I activate the Trap, Half-Unbreak! With this, I can choose one monster on my field to protect from being destroyed this turn, and any damage I would've taken is cut in half!"

My monster is encased in the bubble shield, making Leviathan's attack bounce off and crash into the ceiling, the explosion's impact pushing against me as my Life Points drop to 1100...

"So, your Trap protected you from full damage...but if you recall, Utopia has 2500 pounding Attack Points! So this attack is still going to pack a heavy punch."

I smirk grimly and reply,

"You'd be surprised how often I used to hear lines like that..."

Flip looks at me strangely for the cryptic words, but shakes it off and orders the next attack.

"Let her have it, Utopia!"

Said Number releases its Rising Sun Slash, blasting against the impenetrable bubble that saves Baby Tiragon.  
I just smile grimly and shut my eyes at ready for the after-impact:

 _This is fine...As long as Tiragon's safe, I'll take his pain against my thick skin._

I don't even grit as I get thrown backwards onto the ground as my Life Points drop to 300...

"But I'm not done yet. I'm now activating the Spell Card, Book of Flip! With this card, I can now flip Flipangutan face-down, which means I can use its special ability again!"

Shoving myself up on one knee, I mutter,

"So switching Tiragon to Defense Mode's a no go. Not with that ape and its ability..."

"Bingo! Also, you have 300 Life Points left, which means as soon as it becomes my turn again...I'll be able to take you down for good, and take your Utopia!"

I curse under my breath as I stand fully upright again, when Baby Tiragon chirps at me with worry. But I shake my head and assure him,

"Don't listen to Flip, little guy. It's not over yet; I'll think of something..."

"...Addy!"

That's when I hear Tiffany's voice calling for me, and I turn left to see her, Jamal and Caswell (all with their duel gazers on) appear from around the corner of one of the mall sections!

"Hey, Tiff, guys!"

"Addy, what's going on?" Flip beats me to the punch with an answer:

"I'll tell you what's happening: I'm about to beat your buddy!"

My friends notice the difference in our Life Points and the current state of the field:

"Whoa! Flip's winning by a ton!"

"2500 to 300 to be exact...!"

"And what the heck are Utopia and Leviathan doin' on Flip's side?! They're Addy's!"

Flip jeers after Jamal's exclaim,

"They were hers, 'til I snatched 'em from her!"

I focus back and ready my next draw:

 _I'm holding on by a thin thread of 300...I gotta make this count!_

"Here we go: My Draw!"

And while I did get a new monster, it wasn't one I expected:

 _Stinging Swordsman? Hm...how can I use him to help?_

I was brought out of my thoughts by the sound of Flip's chuckling, and look to him as he comments,

"Judging by your expression, it looks like you didn't get the card you wanted!"

"Who said that? I'm not cringing, am I?"

"No, I guess not...But hey, I wouldn't blame your deck on your current luck! I doubt you could do much with any card at this point, what with that useless XYZ Monster you have on the field! It's points are a joke!"

Baby Tiragon wasn't pleased by the insult and tried to let out a fierce sound, but just hung his head with shame, making me feel bad for him and pissed at Flip for being so rude to the monster.

"Oi! Lay off of him! You don't get to make fun of a monster when you're using him as a bargaining chip for your selfish schemes! Besides, strength comes from more than just raw power...Wait..."

 _That's it!_

I glance back at Astral, before looking down at my new draw and mutter in realization,

"Now I understand: Astral wanted me to protect Tiragon not for attacking, but its abilities outside it! That's the 'Flip-side' of many weaker monsters: They may not have much power, but they got skills...And that's what I'm gonna prove now!"

I ready the card in my hand as I call out strongly to the XYZ on my field,

"Baby Tiragon, it's go time!"

He looks back at me with surprise as I bring forth another ally:

"I summon, Stinging Swordsman!"

My Level One little warrior with the needle jumps up to attention with 300 Attack Points, much to Flip's amusement.

"Only 300 Attack Points? That monster can't possibly hurt me!"

I smirk at him and counter,

"You sure about that, wise guy? I'd rethink your slander against Baby Tiragon...I activate his ability: Using one Overlay Unit, my Level One Stinging Swordsman can attack you directly!"

Baby Tiragon consumes said power boost, just as Stinging Swordsman hops onto the other's back to ride straight for Flip!

"Take it to 'im, you guys! Show Flip what happens when you beat on the little guy!"

"Excu~se me if I don't go running for the hills, but 300 points of damage isn't exactly flinch-worthy!"

 _Oh it will be, just you wait..._

He does hold up a hand to take the prick of the needle in a mocking sort of way while his Life Points sink to 2200, but he wouldn't be smug for long.

"Heh, all according to plan. Okay, Stinging Swordsman, your turn for your ability!"

He jumps into the air from Baby Tiragon before creating a tornado with his spinning body and crying out,

 _"Slash Hurricane!"_

"Slash Hurricane?!"

As everyone accept me flinches back from the strong gusts of wind, I call out with a smirk,

"Here's the low-down for ya: Because Stinging Swordsman was successful in dolling you damage, all your Spell and Trap Cards on the field return to your hand!"

"All of them?!"

"That's right, which means you just lost your trump cards ensnaring Utopia and Leviathan, and they can come back to me!"

And just as I said, Flip's Ultra-C and Traitor Fog are sent off the field back into his hand, forcing Utopia and Leviathan Dragon to disappear!

"No, please, you can't do this to me! Whaaaaaah!"

With the Numbers no longer under his hold, he was released from the influencing power and fell to his knees while dropping his hand...I smile a bit as Utopia and Leviathan settle on each of Baby Tiragon's sides, he still carrying Stinging Swordsman on his back.

"Heh, glad you two are back and alright. (Glance) And thank you for the help, Tiragon, Swordsman: You really saved the day."

They flash their own smiles at me...just as a bright light emits from behind me, and I whirl around to see that strange capsule shine, before disintegrating and freeing Astral! His glowing form moves back upright before settling down into full-vision again, and I let out a bated breath before asking just above a whisper,

"...Astral...a-are you okay?"

"Not yet."

I was taken aback by his answer, until he suddenly calls,

"Go, Leviathan: Attack that face-down card!"

 _Getting right down to it, huh?_

 _(...Sigh) Alright._

Rolling my eyes at his nonchalant pass of his dire peril, I call after him,

"You heard Astral, Leviathan: Attack Flip's face-down card with Shock-Stream Blast!"

Flip had only just gotten back on his feet when his eyes widen with horror as his Flipangutan's destroyed by my dragon!  
Tiffany cheers while Jamal and Caswell exclaim excitedly,

"Nice! Now Flip has nothing to shield himself!"

"In the end, this duel is Addy's for sure!"

As said boy takes a few startled steps back, I make the final move:

"Now Utopia, bring it home with Rising Sun Slash!"

Three strokes of a sword later, Flip was thrown back in a tumble with an outcry as his Life Points plummet to zero, making me winner. I giggled a bit watching as Baby Tiragon and Stinging Swordsman cheered in victory before the AR World closed, musing,

 _They've got a right to be happy...They were granted a fair chance to fight._

I hear Tiffany exclaim my name as Jamal and Caswell compliment,

"That was awesome!" "Well done!"

I nod to them, before turning to Astral as he says,

"Nicely done. You saved me from a very bad fate."

I smiled sheepishly and reply,

"Heh, well, I couldn't have done it without Tiragon and Swordsman...I'm just, glad you're alright..."

My friends rush over to greet me and congratulate me further, Jamal putting an arm around my shoulders and complimenting,

"Way to make the comeback, Addy."

Caswell then grabs my hand and says,

"It's not just your win we should celebrate: You won't have to worry about school anymore. I, along with the principal, sent an email to everyone who got those bad photos with an explanation of what really happened, along with the breakdown of each image Tiffany and I did so they know they were fakes."

"Thanks, Caswell. That's really cool of you to do, (glance) and you too, Tiff, since you had a piece in it."

She blushes modestly...just as I pick up the sound of Flip quietly wailing,

"All my tricks...and still I, lost!"

 _Oh dear..._

Taking a breath in, I walk over to him and kneel down with Baby Tiragon at the ready, even though a small part of me was a bit reluctant to give him back the card regarding their past relations as duelist and monster.

"Hey, Flip."

"Huh?"

"He's your monster, right?"

"...He was."

"And still is. Go ahead and take him. In a way, you did kind-of earn him, like you earned my respect by dueling me with honesty. (Small smile) That has to feel good inside, hm?"

He replies a bit unsure of himself,

"...Yeah, I guess it sort-of does."

"Sort-a? (Shakes head) Flip, all that so-called respect you got in the past with your tricks wasn't real. It was shallow, a trick of your own wounded heart."

"Maybe..."

He then turns his eyes from mine and says bitterly,

"Or maybe this is some kind of trick, and the Flip-side is that you're going to make me look like a big fool."

I rise to my feet with a frown and argue back,

"Aw come on, how could I possibly make you look foolish? (Gentle smirk) 'Specially since you're the one sporting those cool glasses of yours. How much more hip can you be?"

"...You think my glasses are, hip?"

"Mhm. Totally, and this is coming from someone who used to dress like a punk goth. Now that's a scary fashion show, believe me."

...Nothing is said for a minute, until Flip turns to face me with really teary eyes, apparently moved by my compliment in ways I didn't see coming!

"A-Addy! (Blubber) T-That's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me! (Sniff) Forget the Flip-side: Life can be pretty great when you take something at face-value...!"

 _Oh my goodness...!_

Once he gets control over himself, he then says to me with a renewing smile,

"So I'm turning over a new leaf right now! You keep the card, Addy!"

"Uh!...You sure?"

He nods with a slightly teary smile:

"Yeah!"

My lips form a small smile of my own as I looked down at the little creature's image in my hands before looking back at Flip.

"Okay then. Thank you, Flip. That's very generous of you, and I'll be sure to take good care of Tiragon...Also..."

I step forth to wrap my elbow around his with a good-natured smirk as I add,

"This card will remain a symbol of our new friendship!"

"Sounds good!"

We both let out a laugh at our new-found bond, glad we could come to a new stand between eachother...  
But just as we settled down, Flip then asks me something I wasn't expecting.

"By the way...That expression you made during our duel..."

"Huh?"

"There was a moment where it looked like you saw something really terrifying...What happened?"

I was taken aback by his concern, and formed a conflicted expression on how to respond.

 _Should I, say what happened to him, anyone?_

 _...How do I even explain Astral?_

"Addy?"

Taking a deep breath, I put an arm around Flip and guide him in the direction of that outside overlook from the mall to one of the streets heading near the river, thinking a good first step was to get some fresh air.

"Um, let's, go outside first, Flip. My stomach's feeling a bit knotted..."

"Hey, Addy! Where are you two goin'?"

I call back over my shoulder to Tiffany and the others,

"Out of the mall...I need to get somewhere less enclosed...and explain something else that happened during our duel without too many prying ears nearby."

Small Time Skip, No POV

Soon, our small group of five academy students and one being from beyond had left from the mall to sit by the river on the grass incline meeting the water as the sun rolled down for the day. Along the way, Athena revealed Astral's presence and his connection with the recently risen Number Cards to Caswell and Flip, feeling they deserved to hear such information...

"Whoa...So, while you and I were dueling and I swiped those two monsters for a bit, Astral was-"

"Incapacitated? (Sucks in some breath) Yeeeah, that's one way of putting it...Thankfully, I was able to get them back before anything real bad could happen."

Flip, who was sitting on Athena's right while Tiffany occupied the right, Caswell on the former's right and Jamal behind the red-eyed girl, forms a grimace and looks upward to where he thought Astral was to say,

"Uh, sorry, Astral. I didn't know your life was that attached to them."

...Athena forms a wry smile and tilts the boy's head to the left where the being was really floating.

"Little more to the left, Flip."

"(Sheepish smile) Oh, whoops!" She laughs slightly and quirks,

"It's okay; you were almost looking right at him."

"If I may be honest, I'm still skeptical of there being a, person, from another world currently occupying the same space as we that can only be seen by one of us..."

Athena turns her eyes to the boy with the blue bowl-cut hair to reply dryly,

"And I don't discourage your skepticism, Cas. Just remember to keep an open mind; not everything in life can be explained with the raw facts."

"Yes, I'm slowly starting to learn that..."

Tiffany then asks with a concerned frown directed at her childhood best friend,

"But moving from that, you said that something else happened during the duel at the same time Astral was, um, incapacitated. Something that, scared you pretty bad...?"

Everyone's eyes fall on Athena, Astral's included, as her straight face shifted to form a nervous expression, before she drew in a slight shaky breath as she mutters,

"Y-Yeah...It was around the moment, he became encased in that weird energy capsule. It was, something in the way his silhouette looked...It triggered something inside my head, and I, I remembered something from..."

Jamal finishes her sentence, sensing her hesitance and places a comforting hand on her shoulder while asking seriously,

"...It was from when you went missing two years ago, wasn't it, when you were abducted?"

Athena nods numbly, causing everyone else around her to draw in sharp breaths of worry. She looks at Caswell and Flip before saying to them,

"You two must've heard when I went missing from the city for a few days, right, just not alot of details?"

"Uh, yeah. I think your face showed up on the Amber Alert for the news..."

"In the end, it was really scary to know a fellow classmate was taken right out of the blue..."

The girl with red irises nods and exhales a deep breath before saying,

"Well, anyway, as you correctly guessed, Jamal...while it wasn't much, I was able to remember a glimpse of the kidnapping memory..."

"Does that mean the shield around your mind caused by the trauma is weakening?"

She looks up with a grim smile at Astral and nods:

"Yeah, that's one way of putting it. My, 'trauma shield' is still going strong, but it's definitely been dented."

"And, it was my fault this happened to you?"

Athena's eyes widen slightly at the partly-guilty tone in the blue being's voice, and quickly replies,

"Oh no, no! It wasn't your fault; god, Astral...My mind just chose your position as a way to stimulate the memory to came back. It wasn't something anyone could predict, not even me."

Astral nods, relaxing a little at finding out he wasn't to blame for the mental scare. Tiffany then cautiously asks,

"So...what is it that you remember now, th-that is, if you want to tell us..."

Drawing in a new breath, Athena closes her eyes in concentration, delving deep into her mind to recall the fragmented memory...

"...The image is a bit blurred and distorted...but the feelings are vivid enough. I...remember feeling, helpless, scar-no, paranoid...and questioning my own sanity."

Everyone listened with awed expressions as she continued:

"The place...It was cold, neutral lighting. Small, but not so much that it was claustrophobic...The floor felt, smooth, like metal..."

"What about the walls, or any other faces?"

She shakes her head at Jamal:

"That's all I can get in terms of the surroundings. It's still too unfocused."

Tiffany asks,

"Okay, what about you? What were you doing in the room; were you standing, sitting?"

"(Deep breath)...Definitely sitting...I was hugging my legs, rocking back and forth, like I was trying to calm myself down, but it wasn't working..."

Caswell then asks,

"Did you remember saying anything?"

"Um...No clear words, but I was definitely muttering under my breath, and at a real fever-pace."

Athena then molds her hands into fists and positions them on the sides of her head to lightly tap.

"I was also doing this a few times, whacking my fists against my head, and real harshly too...like there was something inside my head I wanted out."

"Maybe this took place after you got, (wince), injected by that needle of freaky whatever..."

Caswell, and Flip bulge their eyes out and exclaim,

"Injected?!"

The red-eyed girl says in a calm but dead-reckoning tone,

"I'll keep the explanation short: I was the subject of an inhuman drug that changed my body chemistry to make me immune to physical pain and mess with my metabolism...And that's what I'm thinking too, Jamal, for it would explain the questioning of sanity and paranoia...There is, one more thing I remember, (shiver) and just thinking about that detail makes my blood ready to turn into ice."

Astral would ask the question this time:

"And, what is this detail?"

"...A scream...but it wasn't my own. I just tensed a little from the sound, as it echoed from elsewhere...It sounded like someone, was in a tremendous amount of pain, worse probably than my own."

Everyone gasps, and Tiffany asks with a hushed and slightly high-pitched tone,

"Addy...a-are you saying, that..."

The girl with the long braid of copper-red tipped black hair nods grimly:

"(Gulp) Yeah...I...I don't think I was the only one abducted. There was, another, maybe even others, subjected to something that violated their humanities just like mine was."

"Oh, Addy..."

"And the scariest part is, as much as that scream sounded human, at the same time... _it didn't_. It also, sounded like a wounded animal, like this individual, was caught in an inbetween. I-I don't even want to try imagining what that poor soul must've, been dealt..."

Seeing that Athena was starting to shake on the spot, Tiffany immediately reached over and pulled the other into a tight hug, the other teens following shortly after in their want to comfort their friend.

"Addy..." "Athena..."

"It's alright..."

"We're all right here; you're safe."

And while Astral couldn't touch her directly, he nonetheless floated closer to the group and reached a hand out to ghost over one of the girl's free hands with a reassuring expression...

Athena stared at everyone with awe, and smiled gratefully with a tear or two, leaning into their care.

"...Thanks, you guys, all of you...Having good people near, really makes this easier to bear. I, feel braver about the eventual return of those days, remembering it all...It might be scary...but, I'd rather be scared of the truth, than terrified of the unknown."


	7. The Mask of Identity & Emotion, Part One

Picture a scene of a darkened night overtaken by thousands of stars, and three grand super-moons casting an eerie glow over a massive, jagged stone castle built over a glass-like lake...

Inside its walls, two creatures, one of phoenix origins and the other an anthropomorphic panther knight, were being attacked by a regally-dressed woman with floor-length magenta-red hair wearing a dark purple dress that had a temporal space pattern on the skirt, who was in possession of dark power currently being concentrated into bolt-like energies to subdue the two former.

(...Shatter)

That is, until someone comes crashing through one of the stain glass windows and distracts her, they being a youth addressed by the panther as,

"Sparrow!"

As they move to stand, we see that they were a boy with short, muted light blue hair styled upward and a pale complexion, wearing a white spandex bodysuit outlined with yellow and indigo trimming to match his thigh-high boots, a gold/brown striped belt with a holster support for what appears to be a whip, a light blue cape held on by a large gold buckle, light blue, dangling diamond earrings, and a red mask with a gold crown that covered a good half of his face but showed off his big green eyes.

"I have traveled through time and space to fight the forces of evil, and restore justice to the galaxies...I am The Sparrow!"

...But zooming away from the action, we see that this was not in fact an actual event taking place in Heartland City, but rather, a new sequence in a fantasy sci-fi series titled ESPer Star Sparrow playing on Athena's small television in her room that was set up on the left side of her desk just before her window. She of course wasn't watching it, but quietly asleep in her bed, leaving Astral the only one with bated attention to the screen as the woman addresses the newly-arrived Sparrow.

 _"How?! Furious Max sealed you away in a dimensional prison!"_

 _"Tuh, I escaped."_

 _"Well, things have changed since you were sealed away: Furious Max now rules over the entire galaxy!"_

The youth wasn't about to let that come to pass without a fight:

 _"His reign is about to come to an end! Go, Mega-Punch Surprise!"_

But it was in making the charge to attack the regal woman, that he catches a glimpse of her reflection in the crystal on her left, and was immediately stricken with shock by what he saw.

 _Uh! It can't be! The Galaxy Queen's true identity...is noneother than-!_

 _"You fool. Nothing can stop the Dark Emperor's Curse!"_

 _(Bzzzzzzt)_

 _"Agh! Hrrrggh...!"_

The Sparrow's absentmindedness costed him great, as he was launched backwards by the Galaxy Queen's staff, and began to feel the pressuring dark energies take over his being!

 _"Now you're my puppet, just like your precious Puma!"_

It was when the woman lets out her evil laugh that Athena finally stirred awake to the noise, and lets out a sigh at seeing that her TV was still on, before getting up to turn the knob by the screen to the off position.

"(Yawn) That's enough of that."

(Click)

"Sheesh. Can't believe that's been on since I fell asleep three hours ago and none are the wiser, 'cept me..."

With that, she pads back over to her bed and crawls under the covers to drift back into dreamland...However, Astral had become extremely interested with the programming, and got up from his seat on the floor to float over to the sleepy girl to inquire some more information about it.

"You need to wake up."

"(Mumble) No' u'less it's World War Three."

"Did you know there is a boy called The Sparrow and he from another world just like me?"

"Yeah, if I, (yawn) remember right, he's from the planet Vortexia..."

"Where is that?"

Sensing this new development wasn't going to be an easy one to drop, Athena moves to sit up half-awake and tries to persuade the blue being to at least let her get more rest first.

"Uhm, supposingly in an alternate version of the Andromeda Galaxy, or so the fans theorize...Astral, this isn't really a good time to ask these questions."

"Athena, please. I need to know more."

She sighs in exasperation while dipping her head before conceding,

"Alright, hang on, I'll turn it back on. But I'm turning down the volume, otherwise gramps is not gonna be impressed that 'I' was watching TV all night..."

(Shuffle, step, step, step...Click)

But by the time Athena switches it back on, the show's episode had come to an end, leaving Astral to become more anticipated, especially after the voice-over announces,

 _"Tune in tomorrow to watch the Sparrow's destiny continue to unfold!"_

Time Skip

We now zoom in on the Heartland Dueling Academy, just as another school day comes to a close which in Athena's case, meant the end of Math Class.

"Ha, finally! It felt like that class was gonna drone on forever..."

She exits into the hallway while tucking away her textbook and her duel disk into her backpack, before musing to herself with a small grin,

"Now to go treat myself with a kiwi-strawberry smoothie!"

"We need to return to your house immediately."

Her eyes dart up to meet Astral's with a raised brow:

"What? How come?"

"I have to tune in to watch The Sparrow's destiny continue to unfold."

That sentence was all Athena needed to hear before she sweatdropped with the 'Hah?!' expression, giving headway for the blue being to go on.

"If The Sparrow really did arrive here through a dimensional vortex, then, there is a chance he may know something about me and my missing memories."

...The girl sucks some breath between her teeth and mutters,

"Hooooo, that's right. We haven't had the TV conversation yet, have we? Hah, okay, Astral, I gotta level with you before this spirals out of control: What you saw, wasn't what you thought you saw. There is no 'Sparrow' in this world."

But whether that registered into Astral's head or not would be left to guess later, as Athena's friends Tiffany and Jamal finally rush out of the classroom to tell her some exciting news.

"Hey, Addy, guess what?"

"Wait, don't tell me: You can finally afford laser-eye surgery."

Tiffany muses with a wistful smile (this time remembering her eye contacts so she wouldn't need her glasses),

"I wish...but no! The Sparrow is down by the sea port today!"

That caught Astral's attention:

"...He is where?"

"They built a set, or a studio, whatever; the point is, there's going to be filming down on South Street!"

Jamal says with a smile,

"We're thinkin' of heading down there to try and get a peek behind the scenes."

The girl with blue eyes and bobbed black hair sighs in bliss with an adoring blush:

"The Sparrow is so dreamy. He could come to my rescue anytime...!"

Athena rolls her eyes with an amused smirk, knowing how much of a die-hard fan her friend was of EPSer Star Sparrow...Astral then says to her,

"We cannot squander this opportunity, Athena."

"You sure, 'cause I don't fancy the idea of getting lost in a crowd of sheep trying to get more than an autograph from that poor boy..."

"...Sheep?"

She waves a dismissive hand and mutters to the confused being,

"Nevermind; I'll explain that reference another day...I, guess we can head down there, mostly to keep an eye on Tiffany so she doesn't do anything stupid."

(Whap)

"Ouch!"

That comment earned Athena a slap on the back of her head by said girl, looking at the former with an annoyed puff in her cheeks while Jamal stifled a laugh...

Small Time Skip  


Soon, the three teens and one being from beyond had made it down to the sea port on South Street where the newly-acclaimed filming studio was, which already had a large crowd of young girls with rosy, cheery faces at the blockade set up at the entrance path to the building.  
Tiffany would of course soon merge herself among those individuals:

"I love you, Sparrow!"

Meanwhile, Jamal mutters to Athena with a squinted expression,

"Uh, I think I might be the only dude here...well, unless you count Astral; he is out here, right?"

She nods, making him sigh a bit in relief, before she hisses back in an annoyed tone,

"I think the more pressing problem is that I might be the only sane girl here."

 _Must, resist, urge to 'baa' at them..._

"I wish we could get in there and see him!"

Another familiar face would provide a way to fulfill Tiffany's wish, they being Flip!

"(Chuckle) If ya wanna get in, just follow me!"

He leads them to another entrance gate leading up to the studio building that was being guarded by a security officer, and they peek out from behind a steel crate as he explains his method of waltzing inside.

"It's possible to slip right by these stage door guys. I saw this on a reality show about celebrity fan clubs: The secret is to act like an industry big-shot!"

Flip then slips on a green-washed gray jacket over his shoulders and a pair of dark sunglasses before darting out to demonstrate his plan.

"He-ey, how ya doin', mac? Just swung by Ninja Blue to get some sushi; good stu~ff! Man, the paparazzi in this town never give up: I had to hide out in a-Whagh!"

But while he might've been very close to success, the guard saw through the act and hoisted the former up by the back of his shirt and jacket to stop him from going inside.

"Where do you think you're goin'?"

"My publicist is gonna have a field day when he hears about this!..."

Jamal sees this as the real opportunity to slip past the guard into the studio:

"(Whisper) Let's, leave Flip to distraction detail and bolt in while we can."

The girls and Astral nod, before all four quickly and quietly steal their way behind the man and Flip to make a mad dash for the building...Once they were inside, Tiffany was enthralled in fan animation:

"This, is, amazing! He probably walked down this very hallway; I'll never take these shoes off, ever!"

Athena groans and replies to her,

"For god sakes, Tiff, have some self-control! You're making the rest of us young girls look pathetic in comparison..."

Jamal quirks to the red-eyed teen with a wry smile,

"I'd get off that campaign if I were you: We both know that she's not gonna shut up for the rest of the week."

"Which is why I have our emergency fandom-overload kit ready to go in advance come Friday...You're bringing the candy this time, right?"

"Already stocked up."

Just as the two teens share a slide-five, a new voice was introduced from inside one of the connecting rooms.

"You lowly minions think you can defeat me? Think again!"

Tiffany gasps,

"Did you hear that? That's his voice!"

She leads the way into a room labelled Studio 2, and peeks from behind some character costumes to watch, as our young performer was practicing his lines and actions for the coming production of the show's latest episode.

Tiffany's cheeks colour again as she whispers with a smile,

"Wow...! It's really him!" Jamal comments,

"Huh. He looks a bit younger than I expected off-screen; probably no older than us..."

'The Sparrow' then narrates one of his more prominent lines:

"Dark Emperor Furious Max, your reign of terror is about to end!"

Astral mutters to himself,

"The Dark Emperor Furious Max...Is that who I was sent here to battle?"

He then focuses on a shape that was directly behind Athena:

"Uh! Athena, look behind you: One of the Emperor's minions is about to grab you!"

"Huh?"

She pivot her head behind her right shoulder, looking at the gear for a reptilian creature, before letting out a sigh with an exasperated smile.

"Astral, this is just a costume."

He relaxes slightly upon seeing her calm position, but was nonetheless puzzled.

"Costume?"

"Yeah, something a person wears to enhance looking the part of another identity...Hang on, I think there's a zipper here..."

The girl with long, shaggy black hair tipped copper red then unzips the torso of the costume, and opens it to reveal the hollow shell for Astral to look at.

"See? Nothing. It's just a fancier kind of clothing..."

The blue being floats a bit closer to peer inside the gap, and becomes more confused and a bit disheartened by what he sees.

 _What? So, the Dark Emperor's minions do not exist?...Or is this some kind of a ruse?_

 _I don't understand..._

As soon as Astral began floating back, Athena moves to re-zip the costume back up...only to accidentally shove the heavy material against an upward pulley switch, causing the costume to shoot into the air on a wire, taking her along with it!

"Yipe!"

"Addy!" "Oh, crap..."

The boy in the spandex suit catches the sound of the girl's startled outcry, while she tries to stay calm in the midair atop the costume's back.

 _Damn, damn, damn...!_

Astral floats up to her eye-level and asks curiously,

"What's this? Why did you not tell me you could fly?"

"Because I'm not, dummy: The costume's attached to a wire that wheeled me up with this thing!"

There's a click, before the suspended costume begins to spin around in a circle, much to Athena's dislike.

"Oh come on, really?! Tiffany, Jamal, help! Find the switch and get me down from here!"

While she was whirling around, her hip bops against the costume hard enough that it knocks off her Duel Monster deck case, sending it to fall right at 'The Sparrow' actor's feet!

"Ah...!"

But she would be too pressed by her current situation to notice, before the wire snaps under pressure and flings her straight into a pillared archway (which was thankfully made from Styrofoam)!

"No, no, no, noooo!"

(Crash...)

...As soon as the security guard caught wind of the trouble, he would barge his way inside and seize the three teens before scolding them at the door they entered through to get into the studio building.

"You kids are trespassing on a closed set! We're going to the security room and calling your parents!"

With shamed expressions, they slowly trudge behind the man to do just that...except for Athena, who was stopped by the sudden appearance of 'The Sparrow'!

"Not you. You're coming with me."

"Huh?"

Whirling out a thin grappling hook around one of the upper support beams, he then snatches the girl around her waist and carries her off before she could make a protest, with Astral following close behind...

He winds up taking her into his dressing room, before presenting her duel deck in his left hand.

"Is this yours, 'cause I know it isn't mine."

"Uh, shouldn't be. Mine's still around my-"

But then Athena feels nothing on her left hip...

"Oh crap, it is! (Sheepish smile) Guess it must've gotten knocked off while I was being tossed around like a ragdoll..."

As she takes back her enclosed cards, Astral scolds her for being somewhat careless.

"The heart and soul of a duelist...and you just drop it? Unbelievable..."

She in turn shoots him a glare, before focusing back on the boy who 'saved her' from being harped at by her family for her and her friend's mischief, for the time being.

"Thanks for recovering this, heh, and for delaying the scolding I'm likely gonna get later from my brothers and grandpa."

"No need to thank me, though I do have a small request..."

"Oh? What's that?"

"I would like to challenge you to a lavish duel." Athena was surprised by such a challenge:

"Really? You duel?"

"When I'm not saving the universe, yes."

"Heh, in that case, how 'bout we get the party goin' right now?"

'The Sparrow' became excited from hearing that, so much so that his voice rose to a different octave (which was more than likely his real voice).

"You mean it?"

Realizing his mistake, he coughs with an embarrassed blush before shifting back to his heroic tone.

"I meant to say, are you sure?"

Though a bit curious of the slight break in character, the girl shrugs it off with a small smirk that ghosted a smile and replies,

"Sure I'm sure! Name's Athena, by the way, or you can call me Addy. It's nice to meet you-"

She was then interrupted by Astral, who urges,

"We have more important matters to address: Find out what he knows about me and where I live."

Fed up with how clueless he was still acting to the differences between reality and television (which clearly meant that he didn't listen to her brief explanation earlier today), Athena turns to glare at him as she insists,

"He's not going to know a thing about your origins, Astral!"

"He might."

"No, he won't! I already told you that The Sparrow's-"

The second interruption to come would be in the form of a small scream emitting from the said actor, who was suddenly cowering under the table of the wall-attached vanity!

"Huh? What's wrong, dude?"

He points frantically in the air to the source of his anxiety, namely...a spider.

"That's it? This little arachnid?"

"I can't even...I can't look; I can't!"

"Oh please tell me this is an actor's joke..."

"Do I look like I'm joking?! Please, just do something about that thing; get rid of it!"

So at the same time Tiffany and Jamal were waiting outside the gateway to the path leading to the studio waiting for their parents to pick them up (and Flip was trying to fight against the security guard's grip, again...), wondering where their other friend was, Athena takes care of the actor's current trouble, taking the spider off its silk line and gently blowing it off her palm out the dressing room's window.

"...Alright, the spider's been evicted. Get up."

'The Sparrow' rises from under the vanity tabletop with a breath of relief, replying in a more normal tone for a boy his age,

"That, was terrifying. Thanks for helping."

It was then Athena couldn't help herself, and bursts into a small fit of laughter while quirking,

"So, someone who's a self-proclaimed hero, has arachnophobia? I'm sorry, dude, but that's a little lame!"

The boy in the spandex costume smiles sheepishly and distantly as he pulls off his mask before replying while brushing his hair downward,

"I'm not a hero. I'm just an average middle-school kid from the 'burbs...I like video games, and comic books and pizza. I'm not some monster-busting freedom fighter. I mean, strangely aside from you, I can't even talk to girls without getting nervous, but it's all in keeping the fans interested twenty-four seven, so I had to keep up the act at all times...(Sad smile) And let's be honest: I don't think anyone wants to know the real me."

The girl with red irises felt her heart ache a bit to see this new side of the actor.

"...That's a real shame there. (Small smile) I think many people would be lucky to get to know the boy behind the mask."

To hear such words made the boy smile with hope:

"You think so?"

He then steps up to Athena and takes one of her hands into both of his before saying,

"Thank you. You're like the first person who's ever said that to me! Okay, um, hang on, I'm gonna try this out: It is nice to met you. My name is Nelson."

Astral tilts his head up and stares at the boy in confusion, still not quite understanding that 'The Sparrow' is merely a character.

"What is a Nelson?"

Meanwhile, Athena smiles encouragingly at the teen actor:

"Heh, there you go. Easy as the alphabet...Now how 'bout we get to know eachother's stories more through a duel?"

He nods in agreement...when suddenly his door opens to reveal a new face:

"There you are!"

"Hm?" "Huh?"

The teens turn to the doorway, to meet the eyes of a woman who mirrored Galaxy Queen's appearance, but with magenta-red hair that just barely hung before her ankles, crystal blue eyes, skinny earrings coloured gold, and wore a dark blue business suit with a striped white shirt underneath the jacket and a knee-length skirt.

"Who's this girl, Nelson?"

Said addressee instantly became nervous of the woman's arrival:

"M-Mom!"

Athena was surprised to be meeting a family member of his:

"Wait, what? She's your mom?"

Nelson's Mother wasn't impressed with what she saw:

"You're not to speak to anyone except for authorized personnel!"

Astral would recognize the woman by her other ego behind the television cameras.

"It's her...The Galaxy Queen."

Nelson would try to reason with his mother's authoritative manner, but to no avail.

"I know that, mom, but uh-"

"But nothing. If people found out what kind of a kid you really are, the illusion of The Sparrow would be shattered. And it's not just about you: Think about how many people depend on you being The Sparrow. You're part of something much bigger than yourself, Nelson. You need to remember that."

"Tch, nice way of parenting."

Nelson's mother turns eyes onto Athena, who folded her arms in a disapproving fashion while glaring with distaste at the woman with her red irises.

"You're putting your reputation as a 'momager' and his career above what he wants in life and who he really wants to be? What a way to kill his confidence off-camera and make him no more than a mask."

Nelson stares at the girl in amazement for her defense, while his mother grits her teeth slightly from the rebellious attitude before stepping to grip the girl's shoulder with a manicured hand and lead her out of the dressing room.

"I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"Hey!"

"If tell anyone that you met Nelson, I will make sure you never duel in this town again."

"What the hell does dueling have to do with this?! Hey, knock it off!"

"Shoo; on your way."

"I said stop it, woman! God, and people say today's youth have no manners!"

Just as the two females were out the door, Nelson calls after the younger with an apologetic expression.

"I'm sorry, Addy!"

"Nelson...I swear to you that our duel will happen. But first, (meaningful smirk) you gotta tell everyone who keeps badgering about your identity to lay off! Tell them you have control, and no one else."

"Uh...I, can't. The Sparrow is more important than I am. _Nelson Andrews doesn't matter._ "

Athena and Astral form shocked looks at hearing such a sad characterization, just as the door to the boy's dressing room closes...Before she leaves, the red-eyed girl then shoves the woman's hands off, and shoots them a cold glare of disgust, making the older female flinch.

"Uh...!"

"I hope you're proud of yourself, woman. Your show may have a star... _but you may have very well lost your son._ "

Small Time Skip, Athena's POV

After leaving the sea port studio, I walked all the way to the middle of the highway bridge to lean on the barrier and watch the sunset while cooling down my temper from earlier before I head back home...

"Man, it's adults like her who really piss me off, playing helicopter parent just so they can (gesture) 'help' their kids succeed. All they're really doing is setting their children up for a crash and burn early in life because they can't form one on their own!"

Sucking a deep breath in and out with a huff, I formed a sad frown as I thought of Nelson's specific situation.

"I can't even begin to imagine how much of a hell Nelson must be going through right now as a child star..."

"I am not following this..."

I look up at Astral, who then asks me,

"Why was The Sparrow calling himself a Nelson?"

 _Aw geez, he's still lost in fantasy delusion..._

"Because there's no such thing as 'The Sparrow', Astral. He's just a character from an imaginary world."

"Huh?"

"Some anonymous person just woke up one day with the idea to create a story with his character and assorted others. That's how most TV works; it's all just pretend, with the exception of the News and Weather Reports."

"You mean that someone was attempting to trick me?"

I almost laughed at that question, but managed to hold it down and opt for an amused smile before explaining,

"No, Astral. It's all for the sake of visual entertainment, another way for humans to amuse themselves."

"So then, he doesn't know anything?"

"Exactly, and I'm willing to bet he's ignorant to any knowledge about the Numbers too. That's what I've been trying to explain to you all day, but you've had your head stuck in the clouds almost as bad as Tiffany."

"...I, see now..."

That's when I noticed the disappointment on his face, and became a bit concerned.

"Hm? Hey, what's with the frown? Don't tell me you're actually that bummed out about this whole thing..."

"What is feeling bummed out?"

"It's like the milder version of feeling sad or disappointed. For example, one day mine and Tiffany's favourite smoothie joint stopped selling one of their more popular flavours. The feeling of bummed out lasted for a few days after...You get it?"

He nods:

"I understand...So Nelson is bummed out too."

"Hm?"

"Did you not hear the last thing he said?"

I recall the said words...

 _(Flash)_

 _"... Nelson Andrews doesn't matter."_

 _(Flash)_

They made me form a sympathetic frown, for I know from my own experience that the emotion that showed on Nelson's face was more complex than that...

"...I do...but what we saw wasn't as simple as just feeling bummed out."

"It wasn't?"

"No..."

I turn to face out to the water again with my arms leaning on the bridge barrier, and explain,

"Nelson...is more than likely on the borderline of depression."

"Depression...What is that exactly? Is it worse than feeling bummed out?"

"Yeah...It's like Sadness...but deeper and consuming, an emotion that can make you feel as if, there's no point to life anymore and that the world wouldn't care if you were gone."

I hear Astral take a sharp breath in from my description, and I smile sadly as I muse,

"I doubt that Nelson's is that bad, however, or his outlook wouldn't have been as animated as we saw before his mom interfered...Still, thanks to his job, he's forced to hide how he truly feels behind a mask, make it seem like he's okay to the people around him, when he's really not. He's, hurting emotionally..."

"...The way you speak, suggests you understand this emotion more personally than others would."

I let out a whisper of a chuckle, and nod as my smile shifts to being a touch more mournful.

"Not alot gets past you, does it?...Yes, I do speak rather personally, and it's because I myself, have been battling depression for some time now."

"You're, depressed?"

"Yeah...and like Nelson, I try to keep it all hidden behind a mask."

Pushing lightly from the bar, I turn right to begin walking home, as I add,

"The only differences are, that my mask is invisible...and has gone under multiple pressures that threaten to get rid of it completely, but still remains in some form. It has, cracks, that allow glimpses into that other side...like worn-out concrete."

...I don't hear a reply from Astral, so I look up to see him staring at me with a strange expression, like he was trying to see past something in front of me...I just smile slightly at him, before focusing back up front with a semi-content breath, letting today go with the cool breeze of the evening.

Small Time Skip, No POV

Night falls over the city, and we turn eyes to a tall, expensive hotel building where up top in one of the main suites, was Nelson, no longer having to wear his costume and wearing a regular outfit of a muted green turtleneck shirt over a light blue/dark blue striped shirt with yellow bordering the bottom, white pants with black suspender belts hanging off the sides of his hips, and light-coloured shoes.

He was standing on the balcony, looking off into the distant rooftops and glittering lights of the windows, trying to still the sad and pressuring thoughts running through his mind thanks to his career, before turning to head inside to get ready for bed...

However:

"...Huh? What's that?"

He then spots something with a glowing aura on the ground, and walks over to investigate...

"It's a card."

Nelson picks it up, which would be a big mistake on his part, when the Duel Monster Card begins taking over his conscious, revealed to be a Number that mirrored Galaxy Queen!

 _"Yeees, Nelson. Let the Number take hooold..."_

Try as he did to fight the card's influencing power, the boy would soon have the glowing numeral 83 imprinted on the back of his right hand, as his mind becomes lost to the dark desires that the Number chose to amplify...

...An hour later, our view shifts below to the streets of Heartland City, as a man with long brown hair wearing a snazzy mahogany suit wanders down the sidewalk with a careless smile, tossing a finished can of soda over his shoulder...Suddenly, a familiar caped youth comes leaping in front of him a few feet away, forcing him to stop with a raised brow.

"Oh, hey man. Nice cape."

Getting a closer look, we see that the youth, was noneother than Nelson, once again dawning his Sparrow costume!

"Disregarding this city's littering laws? (Points forward) I know you: You're one of the Dark Emperor's minions, aren't you?"

"Uh, the what?"

'The Sparrow' then brings out his whip from his holster:

"Come on...Time for me to take out the trash! Hrryah!"

(Whip)

...A little while later, in another section of the streets, we see a cat moving to cross the road, only to get caught frozen with a yowl in the headlights of an incoming car! Thankfully for them, 'The Sparrow' jumps in as a human shield, forcing the vehicle to stop while the feline makes a break for it.

"Hey, you! Get outta the road!"

(Thump, thump)

Unfortunately for the driver, the justice-seeking youth wasn't about to let him off, climbing on top of the car to emphasize their point.

"Only a follower of the Dark Emperor Furious Max would try to harm an innocent creature. It's too bad you don't have nine lives!"

(Leap, whip)

And 'The Sparrow' would go on to strike three more times throughout the city, leaving everyone to wake up the next morning to some startling news in the TV daily report.

Time Skip

In which case, Athena, Astral and Tiffany would tune into such via the latter's duel disk at school during the break before first class...

 _"Multiple eye-witnesses report that the assailant was noneother than The Sparrow, the hero of a popular TV series. We go now to a press conference being held by the show's producers..."_

Headlining such was Nelson's mother, who was really upset by this incriminating turn in the character's publicity.

 _"Our Sparrow would never do such things! He stands for honour, truth and justice!"_

Shutting off the News, Tiffany comments with a frown,

"This is bad. Someone wants to make The Sparrow look like a criminal...but why?"

Athena's own expression was more suspicious than upset:

 _Hm..._

Time Skip, Athena's POV

I was already getting a bad feeling to who this 'Mystery Sparrow' might be, but I didn't want to jump to conclusions too soon. That's why when Tiffany asked me to go combing the streets later this evening, I was on board with the plan, wanting answers just as much as she did. All I had to do was time my sneaking out of the house carefully so my brothers and gramps were none the wiser, hopping down from my bedroom window before jogging to meet my friend at the street corner, she handing me one of the two lantern flashlights she brought along.

For this round, I dressed in my white tank-top with the legendary Red-Eyes Black Dragon printed on the middle, my treasured black leather jacket, dark blue jeans and my tough, steel-toe brown boots that believe it or not, came from Terry after they became too small for him. Meanwhile, Tiffany's outfit wasn't quite as practical, but wasn't too dressy either, they being a long-sleeved muted pink dress that reached just past her knees, a lime green sweater shrug tied on with a white ribbon, brown flats, and she brushed her hair back under a carnation pink scarf.

"Seriously, Tiff, we need to pick a day and have a discussion about your clothing choices for our little adventures..."

She sees my playful smirk and smile-glares back as she replies,

"Oh shush, it's not like I'm wearing a ball gown. Now focus: We need to find out what's really going on. (Serious frown) There's no way The Sparrow would actually flip a car and hog-tie people out of random with no cause..."

I mutter to myself with a wry smile,

"You're not wrong about that: He's too timid for that kind-a thing."

"Too what?"

"Guh-uh, I mean, too self-righteous!"

"Heeeeelp!"

We were interrupted in our conversation by someone calling for help on the upper street, and dashed up the staircase to find a man wearing a baker's cap and jean jacket bound by his torso and wrists just like those other poor suckers caught under the eyes of 'The Sparrow'.

Rushing to his aid, Tiffany asks him,

"Are you okay, sir? What happened?"

"Some oddball in a cape came outta nowhere...!"

Astral would then spot said 'oddball' just making his getaway into an alleyway:

"Over there."

"On it."

I got off the ground and left Tiffany to help free the man from the twine while I chased the anonymous vigilante.

"Hey you, come back here!"

They'd hop onto the top of the dead-end wall just as I call after them again:

"Stop right there, you-uh!"

 _...Nelson?!_

I slowed into a stop, eyes wide with surprise to find out my suspicions were confirmed.

"...So it was you."

"Athena...just, stay away from me."

That was all he said to me, before he makes a mad leap and dash down an upper path into the shadows...It was then that Tiffany catches up with me, and asks while catching her breath,

"Hauh...Where did he...?"

"He hopped to the upper paths; no way we're catching him now."

"...And, was it...?"

Now, I could've told her who it was...but I knew it would break her heart if she found out her TV hero had gone berserk, so I opted in bending the information some, at least for now until I could figure out what got into Nelson to do these crazy stunts.

"Can't say for sure...but their getup did looked pretty similar to The Sparrow's. But who knows? It might just be a nut-job trying to pose as his character for their own brand of justice."

"Hm, maybe...You think this is gonna stop soon, Addy?"

"That, I have no idea...but we can talk about it more tomorrow. Right now, we better motor back to our houses before your folks or mine get wise to our nightly adventure."

Small Time Skip

By no surprise to me, I didn't get as much sleep as I wanted thanks to my mind racing with questions about what I saw in the streets last night, and wound up waking up a bit earlier than usual. I go through my usual morning routine, but instead of doing a massive jog before school...I wound up wandering the crisply cool streets to an old secluded spot I haven't visited in a long time.

It's this small area in the main park of the city, the grass and moss mixing textures to be as soft as the inside material of a duvet, a little duck pond enclosed by some thick-leaved oaks and low bushes, and seldom gets much foot traffic these days. Guess most of the people of Heartland aren't all that big on the solitude and tranquility that's becoming increasingly hard to find in this growing populace...A shame, really.

Anyway, I was sitting down on the green with my back against one of the more comfortable trunks of wood that had its exposed roots twisted in a way that it provides a decent seat, while Astral was floating near my left as we discussed the events from a couple hours ago.

"No doubt that had to have been Nelson under that getup...but why? Why is he suddenly trying to smear his character's name?"

I place a finger under my chin in thought as I add,

"I'd understand he's frustrated by his career pressures, but based on what I saw two days ago, his heart's not hard enough to go to such extreme levels..."

"The answer is out there. Find it."

Looking up at the being, I ask,

"And how do you propose I do that?"

"You made a promise to Nelson when you met. You should fulfill that promise."

 _Promise?...Oh!_

"You mean, to have a duel?"

"Yes. That is exactly what you should do. A duel can bring someone's inner strength, no matter how deeply it is buried...or rather, how much a person may mask it."

My eyes lit with surprise when he used similar words to my own from the evening before last...I then formed a small smirk and nodded.

"Alright then. After school, it's go-time at the sea port."

Time Skip

As soon as the bell lets out for the end of another mundane day of education, I ran out of the academy straight for South Street to sneak into the studio building again. This round, I used a few tricks I picked up from...another time, to distract the guard, throwing a reasonably-sized rock a good to bounce hard off of a metal import/export crate a good distance away, creating a bang loud enough to get the man's attention and rush off to investigate, leaving me open for a mad dash down the path over the blue...

I would then pick the lock to the side door using an old bobby pin I kept in the pouch of my backpack for any weird situations like this, and slip my way inside with Astral right behind me. After that, it was all in a matter of waiting for Nelson to come down here into the main scenery area like I figured he would (If he's acting like 'The Sparrow', then this place may as well be his personal hero hideout)...And once he was at the chair containing his mask:

"Lights, Camera, Action!"

(Clack)

I switched the spotlights on, which prompts him to turn around to my direction as I stepped into view to interrogate him on his recent behaviour.

"Nelson. Why are you playing vigilante and attacking minor offenders?"

He in turn asks,

"What are you doing here? I thought I told you to stay away."

But I wasn't gonna let him off:

"Don't avoid my question! If attacking civilians isn't crazy enough, why are you doing it dressed and acting like The Sparrow?"

"I have to fulfill my duty to the Galaxy Queen."

That, was not an answer I was prepared for...

"Huh?...Are you talking about your mom?"

Nor did I expect the following proclamation:

"I swore to defeat Dark Emperor Furious Max and his minions."

"...Nelson..."

 _Oh god, has he finally snapped?_

He smiles at me strangely, like someone fighting insanity, and asks,

"Why do you keep calling me by that name? (Fwips his cape) For I am known in every corner of the universe as, The Sparrow!"

My eyes widened slightly in shock, drinking in the sight that was the TV superhero in full costume again, as he then asks me,

"Now as for you...why have you come here? Has the Dark Emperor managed to sink his claws into you as well?"

 _Yep, he's definitely lost it._

"Crap...You've really allowed it all to go to your head, haven't you?"

Astral floats closer to my side and asks me,

"What is going on? All what?"

"The anxiety and pressures of being his TV character, that's what. He's completely lost in the identity that's The Sparrow."

He was quite surprised to hear such:

"What? You mean, he is stuck in the fantasy TV world of make-believe and pretend?"

"Right as rain. I mean, this is basically method-acting gone haywire!"

Nelson lets out a righteous laugh and holds a fist up high with determination that unknown to him, wasn't rational.

"The world is waiting for me to deliver justice far and wide!"

I try to snap him out of his character daze:

"Nelson, stop it; this isn't you! You're not The Sparrow!"

He frowns at me in a regrettable fashion and replies,

"Athena, I didn't want it to come to this...Alas, if you are with the Dark Emperor, (points at me) then I have no choice but to battle you!"

 _Ugh, great...Well, I guess there's no other options here, is there?_

 _Maybe a good knockout from a Duel will click his brain back into place..._

I form a serious frown and call back,

"Alright. If it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get! I challenge you to Duel!"

"(Grin) I accept your challenge."

With that, we got out our equipment, duel disk to gazer, and the AR World jumps to life...

 **Augmented Reality Vision Link Established.**

"Prepare yourself, 'Sparrow', 'cause girls like me don't go down easy!"

We both call out that signature phrase:

"Let's Duel!"

Nelson then fwips a part of his cape away again...before his right hand emits the one glow I was worried might show up, shaped as the numeral 83 this round.

 _Oh, no..._

"You're going to lose, Athena!"

While the poor deluded boy grins and chuckles, Astral asks me,

"Do you see?"

"Sure do, a Number. I had this feeling in the back of my skull that might've been a contributing factor too..."

"It must be amplifying the pressure that he feels to be The Sparrow."

Tempted though I was to point fingers, I knew it wasn't his fault that these cards were making people go nuts here and there. Instead, I replied,

"All the more reason to beat Nelson as quick as we can. There's no telling what this Number has in mind for him next after vigilante stunts..."

We nod to one another, before facing up front as Nelson makes the opening move.

"Alright, let's do this! I Draw! First I summon, Beast-Warrior Puma!"

The monster brought out to play in Attack Mode, was noneother than that same anthropomorphic wildcat the ESPer Star Sparrow series based a character off of, Level Four with 1600 Attack Points. Astral recognized him right away too:

"I have seen him in action. Not only is he incredibly acrobatic, but he is a rather gifted swordsman."

"I end my turn by playing one card face-down!"

 _My turn, then._

"Look out, Puma, here I come! I Draw! I summon, Gogogo Golem in Attack Mode!"

As my monster appears on the field, Nelson comments,

"I suppose you're going to send that lumbering brute in to attack Puma..."

"Good guess, 'Sparrow'. Golem: Attack with Gogogo Gust!"

"I can't believe it. You walked right into my Trap!"

His face-down flips up, revealing a card depicting a giant star with three little figures standing on its surface...

"Since I have three copies of Triple-Star Trion in my hand, I can activate Trion Barrier and force your Golem into Defense Mode!"

 _Shoot..._

My monster freezes mid-attack and shifts into said position, reflecting 1500 Defense Points instead of 1800 Attack, as Nelson adds,

"And then, I can summon my three Triple-Star Trions to the field!"

Said little monsters appear in a triple-node swirl, each one Level One with only 100 Attack Points.

 _Hm, looks like I'll have to stop here for now._

"I place one card face-down and end my turn."

"Then it's my turn! I Draw! First, I'm releasing two of my Trions so I can Tribute-Summon! ESPer Star Sparrow is ready to crash this party!"

On that note, said monster Nelson's current character is based off of smashes through the top of the stain glass window behind him onto the field (the only major difference in their appearances was that the monster was dominantly dark-schemed like an actual sparrow), Level Ten and packing a strong 3000 Attack Points!

"...Uhm, Astral, mind filling me in on Tribute-Summoning?"

"To summon high-level monsters, you must tribute other monsters. Nelson had to tribute two monsters to summon his ESPer Star Sparrow."

Nodding in understanding, I focus back up front as Nelson continued his tricks this turn.

"And now I'll activate my Trion's special ability, which means I can re-stack my field by bringing back my other two Trions that are in my graveyard. Go, Lavish Return!"

And just like that, those two little red and green-sweater mage monsters come back from the dead to rejoin their blue-sweater friend's sides.

"Welcome back, you two. Next, I'm activating Space Ration from my hand! I can activate this card's power since ESPer Star Sparrow's on my field. Thanks to its effect, I can draw two new cards from my hand!"

He does so...

"And with that done, I Overlay my three Level One Trions! With these three monsters, I build the Overlay Network!"

 _Here it comes..._

"I XYZ Summon! Kneel before Number 83: Galaxy Queen!"

The Number to grace the field behind Nelson, was yet another mirror of the series characters, they being that dark beauty of a royal with their numeral symbol branded on her skin just underneath their jeweled choker necklace, Rank One in Defense Mode with 500 Defense Points.

"...Okay, summoning your mom? That's just weird."

Astral was in awe compared to my sweatdropped expression:

"The Galaxy Queen...She was revered as a good and noble leader, but then-"

His explanation was interrupted by Nelson as he calls out his next piece in his play.

"I equip the Galaxy Queen with Furious Max's Curse!"

The Number's form is surrounded by a dark aura...

"While under this spell's influence, the Galaxy Queen can't be destroyed in any situation!"

 _Aw, seriously?!_

"And now, I use one Overlay Unit to activate the Galaxy Queen's special ability!"

One of the orbs of light dives into the royal's jeweled staff as Nelson explains this Number's special power in a Duel.

"The Galaxy Queen can grant every monster on my field with immortality until my next turn, and to deal damage even if your monster is in Defense Mode."

 _"Come. Follow me and gain the ultimate power!"_

With a wave of the Queen's staff, the rest of the monsters on Nelson's side of the field are engulfed in their own dark aura as well...

I mutter to Astral with light sarcasm,

"Well, this can't possibly be any worse for me, can it?"

"Correct. If Gogogo Golem is attacked, I am afraid it will not be very pleasant. Your Life Points will be damaged."

"Beast-Warrior Puma, Attack! Go, Dark Slash!"

Thankfully, even though the wildcat pounced fiercely at my monster, I knew that my Golem would be safe.

"Because Gogogo Golem is in Defense Mode, it can avoid being destroyed once a turn."

Nelson jeers back,

"Perhaps so, but your Life Points still take damage!"

And right he was: The impact from the attack pushes against me as my Life Points drop by 100...

"And now, to finish what Puma started! Go, Star Sparrow; Attack!"

With a dangerous-sounding growl grinding from his throat, said monster lunges in to attack my golem again with a fist raised.

"Hope you enjoy his Mega-Punch Surprise!"

This time, my monster wouldn't survive, and was destroyed in a cluster of pixels, while I slid backwards on my feet in a crouch to avoid skinning myself as my Life Points dropped to 2400. Looking up with a grit, I notice that Astral felt the impact too, and I quickly rush up on my feet to check up on him.

"...You alright?"

He looked at me in slight surprise for my concern, but nodded all the same...Nelson ends his turn with a face-down while announcing,

"You see? You can't win. I am The Sparrow! I have journeyed through time and space to fight the forces of evil, and restore justice to the galaxies!"

Scoffing at the method-act, I retort back with just as much fire,

"That so? Well I traveled all the way down here from the Academy to fight the emotions that bind you, and restore your true identity for the world to see. And I have absolutely no intentions of turning back!"


	8. The Mask of Identity & Emotion, Part Two

It's been a few minutes since the duel between Athena and Nelson had begun, and the latter was already in a strong lead both in terms of Life Points (4000 to 2400) and monsters, including Number 83: Galaxy Queen, an XYZ Monster capable of making others invulnerable to being destroyed, she herself immortal thanks to the Spell Card Furious Max's Curse...

"You can't defeat The Sparrow!"

Athena growls a little at the overconfident proclamation, muttering,

"His method-acting's really gone to his head, and I know who's at particular fault for it..."

She of course, was speaking about Nelson's authoritatively-pressuring mother, who doubles as both his manager and an actress/producer of the TV series _ESPer Star Sparrow_ , taking the job so seriously that she's neglected her own son's emotional state...

"Number 83 wouldn't be having such a strong grip over Nelson if it hadn't been for his mom's influence over his personal journey...Hm..."

Suddenly, an idea springs to Athena:

"That could help!"

She then makes a call through her duel gazer to Tiffany, who was currently sitting at her desk in her bedroom situated in the highest part of her family home, the building itself styled with an inspirational likeness to a greenhouse atop a small knoll. The girl was doing some homework at her large desk before bed, dressed in a lime green nightgown with a thin, colour-matching bathrobe overtop, when she sees Athena's name appear in her gazer along with the ring.

(Brrriiiiing, brrriiiing...)

"Hm?"

(Tap, bing)

"Addy? What's with the late call?"

"Tiff, listen, I need you and Jamal to do me a huge favour: Find Nelson's mom and bring her to the sea port studio."

"Huh? Who's Nelson?"

"Oh shoot, right, forgot that part. Okay, long story short, I'm dueling Nelson Andrews, aka The Sparrow at this very minute. You remember that tough-looking woman who produces and acts in the show as Galaxy Queen? That's his mom! I need you guys to find her and bring her to the sound stage; there's something important she needs to witness!"

Sensing the seriousness laced in her friend's tone between the speedy words, Tiffany nods and replies,

"Okay, Addy, you got it; I'll find her. I'll see you soon with Jamal."

With that, the girls hang up on one another, shifting Athena's focus back on the duel.

"Alright, that's done...Nelson, I know you're still in there. Just stay tough for me until this duel's done!"

"Athena."

She turns to Astral come his address, as he informs her,

"Star Sparrow can deal damage even if your monster is in Defense Mode this turn. If you want to survive that attack, you need Utopia."

"Easier said than done, Astral: Currently, I have just one Level Four monster in my hand, so the only way I can bring him forth is if I get lucky on my next draw..."

With that said, the girl with red irises twitches her fingers before making the move.

"May as well get it over with. My draw!"

And the monster she drew next, was the exact level she was looking for!

"Ha, yes! Okay, first, I summon Gagaga Magician! And that allows me to bring forth Kagetokage!"

Shortly after the spellcaster graces the field, another Level Four monster with the appearance of a giant gecko's shadow is summoned forth, with 1100 Attack Points.

"And since both are Level Four, I'm able to build the Overlay Network! I XYZ Summon Number 39: Utopia!"

Both monsters twirl and dive into the temporal vortex in twin jets of purple light, before the Number appears and forms onto the field in front of Athena ready to fight.

"I would advise you to use this moment to defeat at least one monster."

She pivots her head right to give Astral a look of annoyed obviousness:

"No duh, Sherlock, and I want my main target to be Galaxy Queen, but Furious Max's Curse is making her off-limits."

"Interesting..."

"What is?"

"You are not arguing with me tonight."

Athena snorts slightly and rolls her eyes with a headshake:

"Don't recall the world revolving around you, anyway...plus this duel's focus is on rescuing Nelson."

Astral's eyes turn to stare where the possessed boy was standing:

"I want to save him as well."

"Hm...Actually, come to think of it, you're acting a bit outside your usual attitude too...What gives?"

"...Nelson, is not only depressed, but lonely."

That wasn't an answer the girl expected to hear:

"Uh..."

"...I think I understand that feeling, so I want to help."

"You, feel lonely?"

"It would seem that you and I work well together when our goals are one in the same."

"Hmph...I dunno how you could possibly feel alone."

Astral looks at Athena with surprise for her comment, until she smiles slightly at him and adds,

"After all, much as we've been annoying the hell out of one another, we, have been talking to eachother more or just simply lingered in eachother's company...Also, even though my friends can't perceive you, they are slowly treating your presence like it's normal. Tell me how that's lonely."

"Uh...Athena..."

"Keh, (shakes head) but I've got time later to ramble. For now, let's focus on doin' this thing, alright?"

"(...Nod) Let us do it."

Shifting into a determined smirk, the red-eyed teen gets back to the duel:

"Okay, Utopia, you're up on deck! Attack Beast-Warrior Puma!"

"Not good enough, 'cause I play the Wings Of Unity Trap! And since I played it with ESPer Star Sparrow on my field, I can put a stop to your attack!"

Utopia's blade fades away in a mass of gold/green pixels...

"And furthermore, it allows me to summon Phoenix-Beast Gairuda to the field!"

On that note, said Level Six fire bird monster with 2500 Attack Points swoops onto Nelson's side of the field with a fierce screech! Athena curses,

"Damn...yet another strong monster to make trouble for me..."

...That's when something unusual began to ensue between the monsters the possessed child actor summoned, that being, they began acting more like the characters from the TV show they're based off of!

 _"Did someone say my name?_

ESPer Star Sparrow grins up at Gairuda:

 _"Glad you could swing by."_

 _"What took you so long, Gairuda?"_

He replies to Puma,

 _"Ludwig captured the Sundorian Princess again."_

Athena mutters to Astral with a weirded-out expression,

"Uuum...is it my imagination, or are these monsters behaving like their character counterparts?"

"Uh! How wonderful to see it being played out before my very eyes..."

Puma then asks Gairuda,

 _"You didn't abandon the princess, did you?"_

 _"No! I defeated the troll, saved the girl and now I'm-What's this?"_

Suddenly, the fire bird turned his gaze on Athena's form, before exclaiming with a gasp,

 _"Sundorian Princess Kumiko! What in the world are you doing here?!"_

One can only imagine how majorly taken aback said addressee was:

"Hah?!"

 _Where the hell does he get off calling me a princess?!_

The other two monsters turn to stare with gapes at Athena, and even Nelson began to eye her with a different air.

"Uh!...Can it, be possible, that this girl...is really Kumiko in disguise...?"

Clearing her throat, the girl with red irises tries to set the records straight, while also cooling down a mortified blush that had formed.

"Uhm, there must be some kind-of mistake! I'm not this, Kumiko person; I don't even have royal blood!"

"Perhaps not...but come to think of it..."

She whirls to her right to stare with disbelief at Astral as he ponders,

"Your appearance does bear some resemblance to the Sundorian Princess...The only main differences I can think of is species, obviously, your dress and mannerisms."

Athena notices that the being was eyeing her with a spark of teasing in his eyes and his tone, so she smirk-glares at him and retorts,

"Kuh, cheap-shots...and just be glad this is how I dress nowadays compared to a year ago when I used to look like the missing member of the Black Veil Brides."

(Note: I do not own that music reference!)

"That's, the name of one of those, music bands you listen to, correct?"

"Yep."

Moving forward, the monsters on Nelson's side of the dueling field shake themselves out of their stupors as ESPer Star Sparrow mutters,

 _"We shouldn't be distracted. For all we know, this might be a trick of the Dark Emperor's make..."_

He looks up at his allies with a smile:

 _"Anyway, I'm glad you were able to come, Gairuda, and you too, Puma."_

 _"Of course!"_ _"Of_ _course."_

Their bodies are surrounded in an aura of sunny light in accordance to the deep friendship between the trio, and Athena comments with a tilt of her head,

"Huh...they certainly have a close bond..."

Astral places a hand over his chest and says more to himself,

"I don't know why, but there is a strange warmth filling my heart..."

...The two then click on what they said and looked at one another with wide eyes before focusing up front while Athena exclaims incredulously,

"What the heck are we doin' admiring them?! If anything, we need to be on our guard because there are four monsters at the ready on Nelson's side of the field!"

Meanwhile, Nelson finalizes his latest move:

"Now, with Phoenix-Beast Gairuda's ability, I am able to draw one card from my deck!"

His opponent curses under her breath and says while looking at her current hand,

"Now what? What can I use from this hand to prepare myself?"

"You have to get defensive. Go with the card on the right."

She looks at said card, which depicted a warrior prepping itself against an incoming charge from another beast, and asks Astral,

"...You're sure?"

"Positive."

"Alright...I place one card face-down and end my turn!"

"It's my turn! I Draw! I'm summoning another ally to join me."

"Aw geez, you're kidding!"

"When ESPer Star Sparrow, Beast-Warrior Puma and Phoenix-Beast Gairuda are untied on the field, I can summon their friend from my hand. Forged in the factory on the G-6 Asteroid, the hero of Kalos, Iron Hammer the Giant!"

The ground begins to shake as the ginormous robot monster emerges to the field from the ground under, making Athena wobble on the spot until she steadies herself with a hand on her knee, while ESPer Star Sparrow greets the arriving ally.

 _"Ah, Iron Hammer, you made it!"_

Astral then breaks out a brief explanation about the new character thanks to his knowledge of the TV series.

"Iron Hammer was built by Doctor Implausible. The doctor almost tossed him into the lava pits of Kelsodor, because he did not have enough screws in his head, but The Sparrow swooped in and saved him."

We see that this monstrosity was Level Eight and packing a very strong 3500 Defense Points.

 _"Dauh, what do you need me to do, boss?"_

Athena gapes slightly at the sight before her and mutters,

"Kind-a reminds me of a toy robot my brother Terry used to chase me around the backyard with when we were kids...only a hell of alot bigger..."

"Addy!"

"Hm?"

She turns behind her to the sound of Tiffany's voice, and sees her (now dressed in the same outfit she wore yesterday night) and Jamal (he wearing a dark blue ski-cap over his hair, a white t-shirt with a black vest overtop, pair of brown jeans and black skater shoes) standing at the doorway with Nelson's mother, all with their duel gazers on!

"We uh, found Mrs. Andrews!"

"Quick warning, she's not in a good mood...!"

Said adult looks around with a confused and stern eye:

"What is going on? What is the meaning of-"

She cuts herself off with a gasp when she spots her son:

"Nelson? Is that you?! What are you doing here; it's past your bedtime! How did you get past the guards?! Explain yourself, young man, right, now!"

The possessed boy turns his eyes to the woman with a frown and asks bluntly,

"Are you speaking to me?"

"I hardly think that's an appropriate tone to take with your mother!"

"My mother? I think you might be confused: My mother is right here!"

His hand was of course, gesturing to Number 83: Galaxy Queen, making Nelson's mother widen her eyes slightly.

"Uh! Nelson..."

"My name isn't Nelson! I am known as the one and only Sparrow!"

"I'm not playing around, Nelson."

"And neither is he!"

The woman's eyes turn to Athena (along with Tiffany's and Jamal's), who asks with a serious expression,

"You're of course aware of the business involving a mystery vigilante running around dressed as The Sparrow, right?"

"Yes..."

"Well wake up to reality: It was your son this whole time!"

"That is preposterous! (Shuts her eyes with a grimace) It can't be true!"

"It is. Thanks to your constant campaigns for him to focus on his career, Nelson can no longer separate himself from his character!"

Mrs. Andrews forms an expression of stunned disbelief, but Athena wasn't done.

"He's become the worst kind of method actor and lost his true identity! Yet another reason I think helicopter parenting needs to get hanged!"

Tiffany mutters to herself with a finger under her chin,

"Helicopter Parenting?" Jamal explains,

"Yeah, you know, when a kid's parent is pretty much hovering over their shoulders to help them succeed in life?"

"Oooh!...That doesn't sound like a good thing..."

"Eh, well, it's not a great method for every family..." Jamal smiles a bit sadly as he adds,

"My own dad tried that on me back in elementary school during a time when I wasn't doing great in class, but it wound up backfiring when I almost became unable to take a test or even do classwork without seeing him nearby outside the room...Since then, we've made the deal that I would work my ass off to the best of my ability, and he'd help only when I asked for it."

Tiffany nods in understanding, while Mrs. Andrews wasn't taking the news about her son very well.

"This can't be...Nelson...!"

It was then Galaxy Queen calls out,

 _"The Sparrow lives only to serve me! Ahahahahahahaha!"_

"I do not cackle like that! I..."

Mrs. Andrews then makes a noise of frustration and calls to Nelson,

"You're in big trouble, young man! When we get back to the-"

"Oh will you shut up, woman?!"

She stops and turns to Athena, who was glaring at her with narrowed red irises:

"Honestly, it's parents like you that make my skin crawl...Right now, what you should be doing is keeping your mouth closed and eyes on the duel. See with a clear head what your negligence to your son's feelings and struggles have turned him into and how he sees you as a person."

Tiffany and Jamal shiver slightly from how cold-toned her friend sounded, and even Astral eyed her with some wariness and an eyebrow raised.

"Do you not believe you're being a little harsh towards the woman?"

"...Maybe...It's just..."

Athena focuses up front to the dueling field with a distant expression and mutters quietly,

"If there's one thing in this world I can't stand, it's when a parent neglects their own child."

Astral widens his eyes slightly at the change of mood in the girl, making him wonder what exactly had caused the shift...Nelson would bring attention back to the battle:

"Let us continue. I'm using an Overlay Unit to once again activate Galaxy Queen's ability! Just as before, the Galaxy Queen grants all my monsters immortality, and the ability to deal damage even if your monster is in Defense Mode this turn."

With a dark smile, said Number Monster does such with a wave of her scepter.

 _"Feel the power of Darkness flowing through you! Embrace this power; defeat those who would defy me!"_

"Yes, my Queen! I activate Gairuda's ability, so now it gains 300 Attack Points!"

The fire bird readies to charge as its Attack Points rose to 2800...

"Go, Gairuda: Attack Utopia!" Astral urges,

"Athena."

"Right right, I'm on it! I use one Overlay Unit to activate Utopia's ability, Lightwing Shield, which makes Gairuda's attack totally useless!"

Utopia's wings block the incoming lunge of the fire bird monster, but Nelson retorts,

"Perhaps, but there's still plenty more where that came from! I am just getting started! ESPer Star Sparrow: Take out Utopia with Mega-Punch Surprise!"

"Tuh, 'fraid not, 'cause I can activate Lightwing Shield again!"

The XYZ Number protects itself once more...yet the possessed child star points out,

"But now Utopia has no Overlay Units! Meanwhile, I've still got some tricks up my sleeve. Allow me to show you by activating Iron Hammer's special ability! Since Iron Hammer is on my field, one of my other monsters can attack you directly."

The mechanical giant's form glows a dark aura, and holds a hand out for the other monster of choice for this ability, they being Beast-Warrior Puma! Athena winces and grumbles,

"Man, the universe is against me tonight..."

"Go, Puma, this is your moment! Go Dark Slash!"

The warrior's long blade cuts down against the girl, and she's thrown backwards hard from the impact as her Life Points drop to 800. Tiffany and Jamal call out,

"Addy!" "You alright?!"

...She pushes herself up on her feet with a grim smirk and chuckle, taunting,

"That's all the panther's got, eh? Funny, I expected more of a push back, but all I got were the fangs of a kitten."

Said monster heard that and narrows its eyes at her with a growl, while she just kept her smirk going and replied to her concerned friends,

"I'm okay, guys. No worries."

"I'm not."

"Hm?"

Athena then turns to Astral's direction, and widens her eyes when she sees his body beginning to fade in and out from sight!

 _Oh no!_

He looks down at his hand and mutters a bit worriedly to himself,

"...I'm fading away."

"Astral..."

Focusing on Athena, who was eyeing him in concern, the being then urges,

"Athena, quickly, activate your Trap Card."

"Right now?"

"You have to trust me."

Noting how serious he looked, she nodded at Astral before following through his request.

"...Okay. I activate my Trap Card, Heartfelt Appeal!"

"(Nod) Because we took damage from his direct attack, we are able to take control of his monster with the highest Defense Points until our next turn."

On that note, Iron Hammer would shift his place from Nelson's side of the field to Athena's!

 _"That's better..."_

"Iron Hammer! W-What is this?! You're turning against us?!"

 _"Dauh, I can't help it, boss. I just suddenly had the urge to protect the Sundorian Princess behind me."_

Athena sweatdrops and cries out in exasperation,

"For the last time, I'm not Princess Kumiko!"

Such commentary would cause a small spurt of quiet laughter for Tiffany and Jamal, who whisper to one another,

"The monsters think she's-"

"I know, it's priceless!"

Meanwhile, Nelson became angered by this new turn of loyalty:

"You'll pay for this! But for now, I'll place one card face-down and end my turn!"

With that done, the spotlight shifts to Athena, who asks Astral,

"So, why exactly did we steal away Iron Hammer? I mean, he's not gonna stick around long enough to play shield for us, obviously..."

"It was a good move. Taking the giant was a necessary step towards defeating them."

"Yeah, I can hear your confidence, but since I'm the one actually able to call the plays, maybe some filling in on strategy would be nice?"

There's a split-second pause, and the girl turns her eyes away from the blue being with a hmph.

 _Aaand we're back to the usual..._

"I know how things will unfold."

"Huh? How could you?"

"Because I saw the ending of the TV Show."

...Athena falls over in disbelief before jumping back to her feet and barks at Astral with glaring eyes,

"Do you mean to tell me that you've been basing your dueling strategy off of ESPer Star Sparrow this whole time?!"

 _One of these days, I tell ya, one of these days...!_

Letting out a frustrated groan, she then exclaims a touch more calmly,

"...You know what, screw it. I'm moving on; I Draw!"

Setting the new card into her hand, the red-eyed girl thinks to herself,

 _Okay, think: What can I do in the meantime?_

"...Mm, guess this'll have to do for now. From my hand, I activate the Spell, Atraffic Control: Because you have three or more monsters on your side, I can stop you from attacking!"

Several ribbons of neon yellow light intersect in front of Nelson's Monsters like a woven fence...

"Athena, that is it."

She glances up with narrowed eyes at Astral, still annoyed from a minute ago:

"It's what?"

"You did it. The pieces are all in place. We are going to win this."

"What? How?! With Furious Max's Curse still in play, Galaxy Queen's virtually untouchable, and her abilities prevent the other monsters from being destroyed too!"

"It is just like the show."

"You're kidding..."

"I saw this episode, trust me. Sparrow gathered his allies and transformed Iron Hammer into the Dimensional Iron Jet, and together they defeated the Torian Prince."

Athena facepalms with an irritated smile and mumbles,

"Geez, at the rate we're goin', I may as well have Tiff sign you up for the fanclub..."

"Listen: Play those two cards in your hand."

"Hm? Both, huh?"

Uncovering her face, she stares down at the cards in her hand, then glances at Astral...before sighing and muttering,

"I better not regret this...I place two cards face-down and end my turn!"

"You're trying to stall...but this ends now! I Draw! First, your Trap Card's effect wears off, so Iron Hammer returns to my field!"

Said gigantic robot shifts its position from Athena's side to Nelson's, and was a bit befuddled on its actions.

 _"Guh, what was I doing just now?"_

Galaxy Queen then orders,

 _"You must put a stop to this threat!"_

Both Nelson and his monster look-a-like reply with loyal smiles,

"I will do as you say, mother." _"I will do as you say, mother."_

It was then that his real mother tries to snap him out of it, becoming scared by this new level of dedication to his character.

"I don't like this. Nelson, listen to me! We're going back to the hotel, we'll get some, ice-cream. You don't have to be The Sparrow right now! You can just be your-"

Unfortunately, the Number had too firm of a grip on Nelson's heart, and he calls back angrily,

"That's enough! I have to be The Sparrow! Do you have any idea how many people are depending on me?!"

...It was those particular words, that made Mrs. Andrews feel especially ashamed for what she's put her son through that led up to this.

"...Nelson..."

He focuses back on Athena, and says to her,

"You think you've managed to cage me in with Atraffic Control, but I'm activating the Change to Jet Iron Trap Card! Once Sparrow and his allies are all gathered onto the field together, they can unite to form the Dimensional Iron Jet!"

Said monsters shift into pixels, and soar into the air to form said colossal machine, Level Ten with 8000 Attack Points, with ESPer Star Sparrow at the wheel!

"With twin titanium engines and duel sonic thrusters, Dimensional Iron packs enough power to defeat you and end this duel!"

Athena's eyes grew wide as she drank in the sight of the ginormous jet:

"Holy hell, that thing's got enough strength to take out a terracotta army!"

Astral calmly replies to her,

"Deep breath. Just play a Trap Card."

"Trap Card...right...Damn, I'm not sure which one to play first, though...!"

 _...Hm...Okay. I think it's time to shut the world out for a few seconds._

She then closes her eyes tight, and blocks out all her surroundings, all stressers, placing her free hand over where her pulsing organ was, focusing solely on having the sound engulf her ears.

 _There's nothing here, but the sound of my own heartbeat..._

Recognizing the stance and behaviour, Tiffany quirks with an awkward smile,

"Hoh boy, another 'Shut the world down moment'. She must really need to concentrate..."

After about thirty seconds of self-induced quiet, Athena blows out a breath of air with a more determined expression.

"Alright, good to go! I activate the Trap Card, Fiery Fervor!"

A whirlwind of flames sprout out of the card flipped face-up to surround Utopia, as his Attack Points rose up to 5000!

"Sweet! Utopia's attack points doubled!"

Jamal would point out after Tiffany with a serious air,

"True, but that jet's still packin' heat at 8000!"

"It's okay, Jamal!"

"Huh?"

He and Tiffany focus on Athena, who gives them a reassuring smirk and says,

"That was just the start. Now, I activate my next Trap, Reserve Cyclone!"

That card flips face-up as Astral explains,

"This trap card activates because he took Iron Hammer the Giant back from you, and that is precisely why I wanted you to take control of it in the first place."

"I gotcha, Astral, easy on the ramble. Now, to get rid of Furious Max's Curse! Galaxy Queen, say sayonara to your accursed protection!"

A jet turbine appears overtop the Trap Card, and blows several gusts of wind against the Spell before it vanishes in a blast of pixels right before Nelson's eyes!

"What's this?!"

 _"Nooo!"_

He looks up behind him, and sees the XYZ Number lose the dark aura over her...Astral comments,

"Now, there are no cards protecting the Galaxy Queen."

"Rgh, you may have broken through Furious Max's Curse, but now I'm gonna break you! Jet Iron, attack Number 39: Utopia! Go Iron Phoenix!"

Athena shifts her footing to a bracing stance as the jet becomes enveloped in a fierce inferno, and asks in a slightly unsure and quiet tone,

"...Astral...please tell me that we're still in this."

"We are. It is going to be fine. Remember, you still have one Trap Card on the field."

She lets out a breath of relief and nods:

"Okay, just had to check...You really knew your stuff this time, I'll give you that. Anyway, I activate my third Trap, Vector Change! This one allows me to shift your Jet Iron into Defense Mode!"

Said large flying machine does so, displaying no Defense Points of any kind as the fire is snuffed out, much to ESPer's worry.

 _"This is not good!"_

"Gets worse, I'm afraid, 'cause now your other monster playing defense switches to offense!"

And just like that, Galaxy Queen had shifted to wearing a regal white gown while her 500 Attack Points became 500 Defense!

"Rgh, impossible! Now I, can't attack!"

Nelson's focus then shifts behind him to whom he was currently acknowledging as his mother, as she forms an expression of defeat while pulling back her scepter...

"Mother!...I have, let you down...R-Rgh, no! This isn't over yet! You're going to lose, Athena! (Places a card face-down) I end my turn!"

"Then it's my Draw!"

Jamal smiles in anticipation, seeing how everything was laid out now:

"Ha, yes! All Addy's gotta do is snipe out Galaxy Queen!"

Tiffany was just as excited:

"You can do it, Addy!"

Meanwhile, Mrs. Andrews held an expression of regret and sadness, the reality of her mistakes fully kicking in...Astral then says to Athena,

"Actually, there is still a risk factor: If that face-down is a card that counterattacks, he might win...and I might..."

"Hey, I'm feeling that weight too, believe me...Still, this is our one shot to save Nelson from himself..."

"I know..."

"...In that case, will you follow me in blocking out all distractions, serious and otherwise, to reach our goal?"

Red and mismatched gold and white meet, before Astral nods and focuses up front.

"Let us do it."

Athena smiles a bit, before smirking at Nelson and calling out,

"Hope your ready, 'Sparrow'! This will decide who takes the glory page in today's chapter! Utopia: Attack Galaxy Queen with Rising Sun Slash!"

Her monster brings out their tall, golden blades and prepares to attack, just as her opponent makes his own final move.

"Not so fast, Athena: I activate the Trap Card, Star Sparrow Forever!"

"What will that do, counterattack?"

"This card allows me to bring Star Sparrow out of my graveyard with 0 Attack Points, and like he always does, Sparrow jumps in to protect those being attacked!"

On that note, both ESPer Star Sparrows spread their arms in a protective stance for their queen, shocking Athena and Astral, as Utopia continues his trajectory to cut down on that monster instead, destroying him while the actor is thrown back hard in an outcry, his Life Points skydiving to zero! Mrs. Andrews watched with wide eyes as her son barreled backwards:

"Nelson, no!"

With the duel done, Athena is declared winner, much to her friend's delights:

"Alright, Addy!" "Way'da go!"

She meanwhile, removed her duel gazer with a bewildered expression directed towards how it all ended.

"...He, didn't use a Trap that would hurt me."

 _Unless...did he do it, because...Oh, Nelson._

Just as the girl came to a startling conclusion, Astral was still very confused.

"So what was the point? Bringing Star Sparrow back with 0 Attack Points had no strategic merit. Why would he do something that was pointless?"

"...Because it wasn't pointless at all. Not to him."

He looks down at Athena, as she gazes over at Nelson's unconscious form with saddened eyes.

"...He did this all for her. Whether as The Sparrow or Nelson Andrews, he was doing this all for his mom."

The blue being stares at the girl's form for a moment, before focusing on the task of extracting the defeated Number Card from Nelson, who whimpers slightly in his unconscious state as the card shape emerges from his torso, the numeral glow fading from the back of his palm.

...And as soon as Astral took hold of Galaxy Queen...

"Uh! This, memory is..."

"Finally, some good's gonna happen for those two."

He snaps away from his revived piece of memory to the sound of Athena's voice, and they watch as Mrs. Andrews approaches Nelson's form up on the throne platform to gently wake him.

"Nelson..."

Her fingertips touch his cheek, stirring him awake dazed and confused:

"Mmm...M-Mom?"

The boy sits up and mutters with a somewhat rattled tone,

"I dunno what happened to me..."

His mother replies sadly,

"Don't worry. It, it...it's over now. (Looks away) Nelson, I'm sorry I've been pushing you so hard."

He was thoroughly surprised by the apology and how meek she sounded, which prompted him to reassure her,

"...It's okay."

"I, want you to be you. (Small smile) I really do."

"(Smile) Thanks, mom."

Watching this scene made Athena's heart flutter with sentiment, she thinking of her own mother back during a much happier time...

 _(Flash)_

 _The scene depicted is somewhere in one of the Heartland City parks, where sitting at the foot of a cherry blossom tree, was a woman with medium-length, feathered copper-red hair, red eyes and fair skin wearing a white tank-top with crystal-blue lacing at the neckline, her black leather jacket (back before Athena would obtain it), soft grey jeans and simple white sneakers._

 _She was reading a book held in one hand, while her other hand softly brushes back the hair of the little girl laying their head on her lap. The youth mirrored the woman's facial features and irises, her long black hair tied back into two braids and tipped with the woman's copper-red, wearing an outfit consisting of a white t-shirt, a light blue skirt overtop darker-shaded leggings, and white/black sneakers._

 _The younger of the two looks up with a bright smile and giggle in her breath, making the older smile just as jubilantly..._

 _(Flash)_

The memory closes, and Athena forms a small smile while wiping away a stray tear or two ready to stream down her cheeks.

"God...what the hell am I gettin' so sensitive for? That's not like me these days...Anyway, Nelson will definitely reach the bus out of Loneliness and Depression now that this is over..."

After sending her goodbyes to the young actor and his mother, she leaves the studio with Tiffany and Jamal...They were now crossing the main bridge back to the main city section as Athena asks,

"Say, you guys hungry? 'Cause I've suddenly got a craving for curry buns..."

Jamal replies with a little grin,

"I'm all for that plan," while Tiffany's mouth had formed a confused frown regarding recent events.

"So, how come you didn't tell me the full details about who was responsible for those oddball attacks while we were running around like maniacs last night?"

Athena replies simply,

"Because I knew that finding out your favourite superhero going berserk would make you upset."

"Ah...Aww, you care about my feelings that much?"

"Well duh, you are one of my best friends, Tiff...(Smirk) Well, that, and you can sometimes be really annoying when you're smile's gone Topsy-turvy."

That comment would not sit well with Tiffany, and she glares irritably at the other girl while retorting,

"Hey, since when have I ever been annoying when I'm sad?"

"Oh where do I begin? Hm, how 'bout in fifth grade when you gave the Turner Twins a valentine card and they both rejected you? You were bitchin' 'til St. Patrick's Day!"

The boy with dreadlocks then chimes with his own teasing grin,

"Or when you tried to get tickets to that pop diva concert a couple months ago? If I recall, you were so upset and pissed, you nearly threw a hissy fit in the middle of P.E. class."

That sent both teens into a spurt of laughter while Tiffany lets out a fumed huff of air.

"I swear, you two...!"

...Unbeknownst to either of the three, a familiar face had stopped their duel runner halfway across the road and locked his cobalt blue irises on the form of the girl with long black hair tipped copper red and red eyes, before turning his transportation around the other direction and speeding off...

Eventually, we would cast our eyes back within Athena's bedroom, as she and Astral watch the latest episode of the ESPer Star Sparrow series, the final scene depicting our young hero rising to his feet and struggling forward against Galaxy Queen's powers!

 _"How are you able to resist my scepter's power?!"_

The Sparrow grits his teeth and shifts his footing, before letting out a determined cry and launches forward, wrapping his arms around the royal's torso! She's so surprised that she drops her scepter, and her body is enveloped in a golden yellow glow contrasting The Sparrow's icy blue...before the darkness corrupting her being fades away, replacing the colour of her dress to that beautiful white, her skin gaining a healthier peach pigment.

The young hero does not relax his hold...until he hears the Queen speak.

 _"Sparrow..."_

 _"H-Huh?"_

He looks up, and sees the Galaxy Queen smiling at him:

 _"...You did it."_

 _"...Mother..."_

The ending music sounds, and Athena, she dressed for bed in a soft v-neck t-shirt and shorts, lets out a content breath with a small smile before commenting,

"Not a bad end, just a little too sweet for my taste...I think I prefer the real chapter's end, with Nelson and his mom..."

She pivots her head right to the being sitting on the floor beside her:

"What about you? What's your take on this latest piece in the story?"

"...Observation Number 10: The bond between a human parent and a human child is strong...very strong."

Her eyes widen slightly, before relaxing into a smile of understanding and nods...There's a pause, before Athena then asks,

"So...what did Galaxy Queen, reveal to you?"

"...That memory...I was remembering the moment I was born."

Astral then goes on to describe a scene, involving a water-like substance within a galactic space with the according colours mentioned once before in his recollection of his home world, that released a single drop which slowly formed into the being we would know now...

More puzzling still, was the message that a wispy female voice ghosted through the atmosphere.

 _"Your name, is Astral, and you are being entrusted with the future of our world."_

"The future, huh? Yipes, that's alot to spring on someone when they're just born..."

...After another moment of silence, Athena moves to turn off the TV for the evening, but then walks over and clicks her duel disk on to open a holographic file filled with various reading materials.

"Okay, gramps said that he doesn't wanna catch wind of any signs of the television being on all night, so I'm providing you a different kind of entertainment this round. I've got five books on here, two of them real lengthy that should keep you occupied. I also clicked on the audio command, so all you have to do is say the title of the book and it'll boot on, and 'turn the page' to...well, go to the next page. Once a book's done, it'll go back to the menu automatically...Got it?"

Astral nods, a bit surprised by the girl's care in terms of his inability to touch the tangible and lack of stimulation while she is asleep.

"I do...and, thank you."

"No prob..."

Just as Athena settles herself under the sheets of her bed, the blue being remembers something he had been meaning to ask the former.

"...Before you go to sleep, there is something I had wanted to ask you, regarding your, behaviour in recent days..."

"Um...okay, shoot, what is it?"

He floats over so he was hovering in a kneeling position over where the girl's legs were stretched out, before getting on with his question.

"The way you spoke in comparing Nelson's situation with your own experience, and how harshly you regarded his mother...Were you perhaps, thinking of your own parents at the time?"

Athena's red irises widen a little at the mismatched gold/white...before narrowing them and looking down at her duvet with a mix of emotions, the dominant being a distant kind of sadness.

"...Yeah...I guess I was thinking of them...Seeing how neglected Nelson was becoming before now, kind-of reminded me of how I'd sometimes feel neglected by my own folks..."

Her lips form a sad smile as she postulates,

"But...I know deep in my heart that they were never like that on purpose. They loved me and my brothers unconditionally...It's just, I don't think they were fully prepared for a quieter lifestyle."

"A quieter lifestyle?"

"Mhm, compared to the adventures they've had since graduating high-school. They used to almost never be in one place for too long at a time, just long enough to explore, discover and connect...They were of course overjoyed when they had my brothers, and then me, but that didn't stop them from continuing their explorations far from home. Wasn't for a lack of trying to stay home for a long period, but...hah, I dunno..."

Athena runs a hand over her face as she wonders with a slightly bitter undertone,

"Maybe the whole 'settling down and having a family' plan was too tame for mom and dad...I don't want them to lose that excitement either. That'd be selfish...but, I just, wish they could think of the people they've left behind a little more, that's all..."

Astral could almost feel the emotions - sadness, depression, an old and dying anger, a family love too strong to quit - radiating off the body in front of him, and he felt something in his own heart throb from hearing these bottled-up words...

He would then reach a hand out to ghost over her shoulder, making her look up in confusion.

"Hm? Astral?"

"I, have seen this action performed among humans when one is 'feeling down'..."

Hearing the observational tone mixed with the care made Athena's negative emotions fade back to make room for a smile and chuckle of light amusement, before she replies sincerely,

"And, you're using it right, no doubt...Thank you."

"You're welcome."

And they would stay in this position for a few moments longer...before settling into their own routines for the night, the girl laying down sideways in her bed to sleep, while the boy from beyond kept his wakeful mind busy by reading, while once in a while stealing a glance at the other form of life in the room, his expression being one that he himself, would be unable to identify...


	9. Nine Lives to Duel

Hey fellow writers and readers!

So, I said that it would be by chapter 9 I would decide on the big question: To pair or not to pair my OC and Astral.

Aaaaand...I'm putting the green light on their eventual pairing! So expect their name titles to be bracketed together in the story link in the next little bit ;)

Anyway, enjoy the latest in this adventure!

* * *

It's a new night in Heartland City, the skies overcast with most of the stars clouded from view and leaving the streetlights in charge of providing light for any nighttime combers...

For example, one such nocturnal traveler would be a muted blue-furred feline with a white underbelly, hind legs and face including a tiny diamond design between the area just above the nasal bone. Their tail carried a dull gold ring of sorts, a possible indicator that they had an owner, confirmed when they call for someone after hopping onto the roof of the Fujina Residence, and a human shadow creeps onto the woodwork...

Inside the bedroom of the youngest family member, Athena was sound asleep in her bed, but based on the disgruntled facial expressions that kept forming every few seconds, it seems that tonight's dreams were not of the pleasant variety for the young girl.

(...Click)

Her window is unlocked and gently pushed open, before the figure attached to the earlier shadow silently steals their way inside, and begins to move things about in her room. Getting a closer look, we see that their frame leaned towards a lanky male, short hair cut to just past his ears and a bit messy with, feline ears(?) atop their head, and wore all black with a gray tail(?) at the end.

...Unbeknownst to the figure, someone was aware of their presence, they being Astral when he manifests outside the key and began watching the figure's movements...

Both would be interrupted when they catch the sound of a muffled whimper, turning to Athena's form as she squirmed in her sleep with a scared expression, mumbling something that sounded like,

"N-N...Help...Someo-..."

The figure turned to walk over to the girl's bed and stared at her with brown eyes that were glazed with a glowing aqua, before reaching out a hand gloved in black to gently brush Athena's hair in a soothing gesture until she settled into a more content slumber, making the figure smile a bit in pity while they whispered,

"Hm, poor thing, nightmares again?...Heh, well, hopefully my little surprise will distract you tomorrow..."

With that, the mystery male's smile shifted to be a bit more mischievous as he stole his way back to the outside, quietly closing the window on his way, leaving one girl oblivious to recent events and the witnessing being in wonder and suspicion...

Time Skip

We jump now to the next morning at the Heartland Dueling Academy before first class, as everyone of one division of the first years was hanging out in the classroom while their teacher had yet to arrive and begin a new lecture.

Two of those students, Tiffany and Jamal, were standing by the third row of desks as they began discussing recent events surrounding the third member of their trio, Athena.

"Man, it's been a real craze lately. To think, Addy's usually on and off with her dueling and barely swings in a rare victory...But thanks to the rise of these weird Number Cards and that Astral character, she's slowly becoming an actual contender."

The girl with blue eyes and bobbed hair smiles a bit and chides,

"Come on, are you saying she wasn't getting better before now?"

"No such thing, but what I am sayin' is that Astral's definitely providing a jump-start to Addy's dueling knowledge."

"Hm, I guess that's fair...Just to be curious, why do you think he chose to come to Addy in the first place?"

The boy with cocoa-olive skin replies to Tiffany with a glint of knowing in his eyes,

"No idea, but if we know our girl like the back of our hands, it's gotta be an important reason..."

Tiffany nods in agreement, just as the sound of their subject's voice finally rings into the room.

"Hey, guys!"

"(Turn) Oh, hey, Ad-Hah?!"

But any reply to the greeting would be shot down by the expression of surprise by not just those two, but all the other students in the room when they got a look at the arriving girl's attire: While it may have looked like the regular school's boy's uniform to the untrained eye, it was of an older style of several years back when it came with a blazer coloured in accordance with the tie. It was also at least a few sizes too large for the girl of only 5'2", forcing her to roll back the sleeves of the white shirt past her elbows (she tied the blazer around her waist) and cuff the blue pants that were held up by a tight belt, and the brown shoes on her feet were quite big too, making some wonder how Athena was even walking without tripping.

The girl herself scanned the room of bewildered faces with narrowed red irises before calling in annoyance,

"What? You act like you've never seen a girl in too-large boy's clothes before."

She waves a dismissive hand and adds,

"Cut the starin' and go back to your own business!"

Everyone follows through the order without hesitation, but would fill the room with murmurs of curiousity and confusion...

"Uuuh, what's with today's outfit, Addy?"

She turns to meet Jamal's slowly-descending shocked face and replies with irritation in her tone,

"Not my first choice, first of all, but I had little options when I got here and found out someone switched out my uniform with a yellow mini dress!"

"What?! No way!"

"Way! I had to call my brother Adam to drop off his old uniform so I had something to wear other than my jogging outfit!"

Tiffany asks,

"You don't have a spare in your locker?"

"Nope, and it's not like I'd call my locker anymore reliable considering the clothing madness of these last few days!"

Athena began counting off said incidents on her fingers:

"First there was that pink disaster leotard replacing my gym uniform on Monday. Then on Tuesday, a leopard-print mini skirt replacing my pants! And then just yesterday, someone switched out my pre-planned outfit for after-school with that rapper costume!"

Jamal's dreadlocks bounced as he tried to hold back his laughter:

"That one was the funniest: You looked like a female Eminem impersonator!"

(Note: I do not own that music artist reference!)

Tiffany however, was thinking about the spout of activity with a more critical head.

"Yet it's not just those fashion mishaps: There's been alot of weird things happening to you as of this week. Your lunches have been coming out as professional-level cuisine (no offense to your grandpa), and then there was yesterday's incident in gym class during the vault box jump..."

Athena hides her face in her hands with a groan of embarrassment on that mention, recalling the moment in question involving a wire attached to her person that caused her to get stuck midair during her jump...She then mutters bitterly,

"I dunno who the hell's doin' this, but the joke stopped being funny like two pranks ago!"

Just as she says that, Astral appears from outside the pendant around her neck and comments,

"To use an event as a measure of time is quite unusual."

"Really? That's your takeaway from this nutty activity? You don't actually expect me to believe you don't find these antics annoying..."

"I would not say annoying, but I must admit, the repetitiveness is slowly becoming rather dull. The only interesting part in these last several nights is the strange figure who has been sneaking around in your room while you sleep."

That would strike a chord in Athena:

"Whoa whoa, what?! You're just telling me this now?! Why didn't you say anything sooner?!"

Astral replies calmly,

"They presented no threat to the Numbers nor have you ask me to keep you informed."

...The girl with red irises facepalms and grumbles,

"Leave it to you to come up with a smart-alack answer...Great, this means I've got a stalker on my case. Fan-freakin'-tastic..."

Groaning, she then states with her hands on her hips,

"Well whoever this mystery prankster is, they're not gonna hide from my eyes for long! I can and will find them!"

"And hopefully before you end up looking more ridiculous than you do right now."

Athena turns eyes to Tiffany and asks with a raised brow,

"What's that suppose to mean? If this is about my current uniform, I already said this was my best last-minute decision."

"Yeah, and based on what I've seen these last couple years, most of your clothes are based on last-minute decisions. As far as I'm concerned, Addy, you're a wreck of a tomboy when it comes to fashion."

...Now most would feel insulted by such a remark, but these two young ladies have been friends long enough that such conversations were child's play. In that regard, the girl with shaggy black hair tipped copper red smirks and counters,

"Huh, is that right? Well at least I'm not the one who uses those shallow magazine articles to 'help' her decide what to wear."

"Auh! (Smirk-glare) This coming from the girl who's gone from farm-hand to rock-goth to skater-punk!"

"I follow my own rhythm! You're the one stuck in a conformity rut!"

Jamal was bending forward holding his stomach by this point, tightening his lips closed to keep himself from making the walls bounce with his chuckles. Astral meanwhile, was observing the scene with an astonished expression at how the girls were berating one another, but in such a way that it felt like a good kind of normal...Finally, Tiffany comes up with a suggestion to settle the argument:

"Okay, there's only one way to settle this, and that's with a fashion contest! Tomorrow afternoon, we'll meet at the mall and comb the stores for an hour to pick out an outfit. We'll post the images to Spacesnook, and we'll have the class decide 'Who's Hot' and 'Who's the Hot-Mess'."

Athena nods in agreement to the stakes:

"Oh you're so on! City Center, 2:30, and you better not be late."

"Just as long as you're not several hours early."

They both let out a laugh at the retort...while unbeknownst to them, another face in their class was staring at them with a hidden jealousy in their sharp, brown irises...

Time Skip

Moving into the evening, we now find ourselves in front of a rather large manor, with a gate that carried two cat designs atop the doors...

Up at the right wing balcony, that same cat with blue fur comes to land smoothly from a tree branch, and meows towards the windowed door...before it slowly creaks open. It wanders inside, followed by several other felines to meet with the young resident of this grand estate: A young male with a pale complexion, short, sandy-brown hair cut in a messy, tousled type of pageboy style that also illusions small cat ears at the center-top with a few gray patches dyed in, and those sharp brown eyes.

He smiles a little at seeing the several cats and says in a quiet-toned voice,

"My friends...You're truly the only ones who will care about me, more than most of the humans today...And now, I require your help once again."

Zooming out, we see that he was wearing an outfit comprised of a gray dress-shirt with matching skinny jeans, a sandy-brown undershirt, his neck adorning a black collar choker with a silver star charm, and black-gray high-top converses. The back of his pants held a sandy-brown tail with gray spots decorating it, and his hands were covered by gray gloves that sported sharp, white nails on the fingertips.

He holds up several photographs before softly tossing them out towards the cats while telling them,

"I need you to chase away this annoying little mouse."

We see that the face of focus...was noneother than Tiffany!

"This mouse has things I do not. For example, she has...friends...One in particular who's captivated my eyes...Ugh, it isn't fair. She makes me as sad as a kitten caught in the rain. We don't like this mouse, do we?"

The boy mirroring a feline holds his hands up like poised paws and hisses twice, prompting mews of understanding from his small army of true cats...

"You know what to do then, I take it? Find this mouse...and when you do find her... _show no mercy and pounce._ "

Time Skip, Tiffany's POV

"Dang it, I'm gonna be late! Urgh, I'll never hear the end of this from Addy: Running behind for a fashion-off, all because I was so indecisive over my starter outfit!"

It's now approaching close to half-past two in the afternoon, and I'm running like a madman to get to the City Center to meet with my gal pal after spending more time than I usually do rummaging through my closet for something to wear. I eventually settled on a cute lime green babydoll dress with white ruffling on the bottom, a jean blue cardigan with a heart sequin design over the left side, and my gladiator-style black sandals. I also remembered my favourite green barrette with the daisy design to pull back my left fringe.

Rushing past the tall pole with the clock on top, I see the time shift to 2:28, making me curse a little under my breath, something I rarely do.

 _...Maybe Addy was onto something with that conformity rut crud._

 _I should cut back on those Teen-Queen articles for a while._

Just as I thought that, my trek was cut short my several cat calls, and I mean of the literal kind!

"Uh!"

Slowing to a halt, I found myself being circled by more than a dozen felines, who were looking at me with strangely hostile expressions.

"Ah-heh, nice kitties..."

...And the next thing I knew, they sprang at me!

"Aaah!"

 _Oh man, what the heck is going on here?!_

Athena's POV

I'm leaning against the fencing of the above area connecting the city center to the urban pathways of one park, tapping my foot impatiently while wondering what was taking Tiffany so long.

"Sheesh, and she scolds me for my timing habits?...Hm, maybe this is her way of forfeiting..."

For today, I chose to wear my black spaghetti-strap tank-top that went into a webbing mesh design halfway down, my black leather jacket, white jeans just to do something different, and dark blue sneakers with red laces. I also tied my very long hair back into an equally long french braid, something I hadn't done in a while, which made the copper-red tipping stand out against the main black more.

 _Heh, she wasn't wrong about that skater-punk quip..._

I'm interrupted out of my thoughts when I hear several mews and meows, and open my eyes to see a small army of cats just a few feet in front of me!

"Whoa!"

 _How'd they get in front of me without me noticing?! Better yet, who or what sent them?!_

I wasn't the only one curious to their presence: Astral suddenly comes out of the key and asks with a trace of nerves in his voice,

"What, are, these? That awful noise they are making is making my spine tingle. Ah! It is terrifying."

Making a sound of amusement, I pivot my head to meet his eyes and quirk with a small smirk,

"Ha! Come on, Astral, don't you go tellin' me that these cats actually scare ya!"

He replies in a quick defense,

"They are simply not in my observation report."

 _Hmmm, do I dispel his denied worries, or joke with him? Decisions, decisions..._

 _You know what? Let's go halvesies this time._

I fully turn around so my front was facing his and began my explanation:

"Well first of all, cats are among the many, many creatures of the wild you'll be seeing in your time in my world, while also one of the kind that can be feral or domestic. (Glances behind) These ones are kind-of a mix of the two, alley cats to use the common term. (Sneaky smile) It's been told that a cat's senses are so strong they can see the supernatural, so I wouldn't be surprised if these ones are peering into your being as we speak."

Astral's face contorts into one of surprise, making me giggle a bit behind my hand, which he wouldn't miss and shift to looking at me in annoyance for a second, before realizing,

"...Actually, Athena, these creatures appear to be staring, at you."

That made the laughter die quick enough:

"Huh? Me?"

I turn around to look at the cats, who were indeed fixating their eyes on my person...I then notice the one in the middle-front had something in its mouth: A note of sorts...that was also carrying a familiar-looking hair-clip on the right side.

 _Uh! That looks exactly like Tiffany's daisy clip!_

Forming an expression of suspicion, I kneel down and gently take the note from the cat, dislodging the clip into one hand while reading the message in the other.

"Now what?...'We have your friend. Follow us to get her back'."

 _...Tiffany..._

Suddenly, a few of the cats hop back to make room for the main messenger, who begins darting off to where I'm assuming my friend must be, myself rushing after them with no hesitation, despite Astral's call for me to slow down.

"Athena, wait!"

I ignored him, too antsy about this new turn of events and the possibility that one of my best friends could be in a load of trouble...

(Slam)

"Tiffanyyy!"

Eventually, just as the sky was clouding over for that small stormy session forecasted for this afternoon, I would reach this old-style mansion and climb over the metal gate (which was definitely a chore and a half, let me tell you) to burst open the front doors. Rushing to the main staircase, I call out,

"Tiff, are you in here?!"

...That's when I took a more thorough look at my surroundings, spotting a rather, bizarre theme going for this home.

"Yikes, this place is crawlin' with feline memorabilia...! (Looks left, then right) I dunno who lives here, but they really need to get out more..."

(...Step, step)

"Hm?"

I dart my head up to the sound of footsteps, and found myself meeting brown irises belonging to a boy about my age with light brown hair that had a few dyed-in gray patches, like ocean-kissed sand on a cloudy day, cut in a pageboy-style that also made it look like he had little cat ears up top. He was also wearing an interesting outfit that included a gray dress-shirt with matching skinny jeans, a sandy-brown undershirt, and black-gray high-top converses. Finally, he had these unique accessories of a sandy-brown tail with gray spots decorating it, a cat collar with a star charm, and gray gloves that sported sharp, white nails on the fingertips.

 _...O-kaaay, think I found my cat-fanatic._

"Thank you for coming, Athena...or would you prefer Addy?"

"Uh, either's fine, and you are...?"

"My name is Caden Katherine."

"Caden Katherine, huh?" He nods with a smile:

"That's right, but feel free to call me Cade." I nod back warily, remembering why I came here:

"Alright..."

"I believe that I recognize this boy..."

My head turns right to look at Astral in mild surprise:

"You do?"

"He attends your school. He is often alone, standing off to the side..."

I hm as I try to see if I could recall any time I saw this boy at the Academy:

"Let's see...Then you'd be..."

"Yes, I'm-!"

"Nope, sorry. Not familiar with your face."

He bends over with a cloud of disappointment hovering his head, but quickly recovers with a neutral expression.

"It's fine. I'm used to it."

The bitter sadness in his tone said otherwise, but that wasn't my main concern at the moment.

"Okay, let's just cut to the brass tax: What have you done with Tiffany?"

Caden grits his teeth slightly before asking me,

"Tiffany, Tiffany, Tiffany. Is that _girl_ all you think about?"

"Tch, no, of course not. There's usually too many topics on my mind...but don't turn the subject against me! Just let Tiff go, would ya?"

He turns his back to me and counters,

"Only if you beat me in a duel," making me grind my own teeth in annoyance:

"Urh, a duel? You've gotta be kidding me..."

Caden chuckles and turns to face me again while quirking with a teasing smile,

"You're not a scaredy-cat, are you, Addy?"

Though his behaviour was erratic, it seemed to fit him normal enough...Nevertheless, I quietly ask the being beside me,

"Say, Astral, you think this boy's got a Number on him?"

"If he does have a Number, then you have to win this duel."

"Kuh, I was planning to win either way! You're on, Caden!"

And just as a lightning strike sounds from outdoors, I get myself prepped for the fight ahead.

"Duel Disk: Go! Duel Gazer: Set! Duel Interface: Show me the impossible!"

 **Augmented Reality Vision Link Established.**

"(Both Duelists) Let's Duel!"

We were facing one another on opposite balconies over the main entrance floor, and Caden would make the opener.

"I've got the fierce claws of a snow leopard, and have all Nine Lives, so prepare yourself! I Draw! First, I'll activate the Inviting Cat Card from my hand!"

I mutter to myself,

"Interesting. He's beginning with a Spell..."

"Thanks to Inviting Cat, I can add a Stray Cat to my hand, but that's not all. Next, I play the Continuous Spell, Cat Meeting!"

"Continuous...That means he can use that card over and over as long as he meets its conditions, right?"

Astral nods in confirmation:

"That is correct."

Caden coos,

"Here kitty kitty~...First I summon, Stray Cat in Attack Mode!"

Level One with 100 Attack Points and 300 Defense Points, the monster was in the guise of an alley cat with its back turned and head tucked under its paws...

"And when I successfully summon one Cat Monster, Cat Meeting activates and allows me to bring out another Stray. After all, no sweet feline likes to be alone..."

A second cat with dark grey fur instead of black and white pops onto the field, and I smirk slightly before commenting,

"You might have an advantage in terms of numbers, but those creatures aren't packin' much of a punch."

"That so? Hm, you might be right, but we won't know 'til my next turn, will we? For now, I place another card face-down and end here."

His feline gesturing and hinted knowing distracted me somewhat, and he coos out,

"Well? Your move, Addy..."

"Hmph, rightly so! I Draw! First, I summon Achacha Archer! When he's successfully summoned, he instantly dolls out 500 points of damage to my opponent!"

My archer calls out his name before releasing said flamed arrow at Caden, who cries out like a stressed feline as his Life Points drop to 3500...

"That was just the start too."

"Athena, wait. Let us talk this through..."

"What else is there to talk about, Astral? This is a one-of-a-kind wide-open attack! Achacha Archer: Attack Stray Cat!"

...But that was when I ran into the problem that the blue-skinned being was likely trying to warn me about, or rather, my monster was caught in an aiming crisis.

"Huh? What's with the hold up, Achacha? You only need to take out one; how hard is that to decide?"

"(Chuckle) Oh dear. Having target troubles, are we?"

I glare up at Caden, who adds with a coy smile,

"My bad. Guess I should've mentioned Stray Cat's ability: When it's on the field in Attack Mode, you can't target any other monster."

"Say what now?!"

"Interesting tactic. This poses a bit of a dilemma..."

My eyes turn to Astral, who explains upon feeling my stare,

"Both of her monsters are Stray Cats. If you target one, the other will leap in and become the target of your attack. This cycle will go on and on and on."

"Damn...so short terms, I can't do jack."

 _Crap, what to do now...Hm...If only one of those monsters wasn't in attack-_

 _...Wait..._

"Athena, I think I know a method that will get us out of this situation."

"...I might've just figured it out too."

"You did?"

Nodding, I hold my hand out so we were both looking at them and point to the one card that should save my arse.

"It's this one, right? This is the one you were thinkin' of."

"...Yes, that is the one."

Smiling a touch proudly of myself for figuring it out on my own, I put the plan to action.

"Yo, Caden! Here's a little Flip-Flop Spell for you and your Strays! Thanks to this card, I can switch the battle mode of one monster on the field!"

The boy forms an affronted expression, and I continue:

"I think the white one's a good enough target."

The Stray Cat shifts its position, now hiding itself inside a cardboard box...

"Archer, you're up! Fire away at the grey one!"

That cat turns its face (which was rather freaky-scary, I may add) to Achacha just as he fires his arrow.

 _"A-chacha!"_

The grey feline is destroyed, much to Caden's dismay:

"My poor kitty!"

His Life Points settle down to 2400, and I pull back my free hand into a victorious fist and slight smirk.

 _Ha! S'all comin' up good..._

Astral's POV

Watching the scene unfold, I then turn to stare at Athena as I thought to myself,

 _The Stray Cat's ability was dependent on being in Attack Mode. So by forcing one of them into Defense Mode, Athena made the other one vulnerable._

 _That was the suggestion that I was going to make..._

 _Perhaps it was better that she came up with that move on her own._

She then calls out to her opponent,

"Caden! You're gonna regret the day you came up with the very idea of messing with Tiffany! I can promise you that!"

I almost felt a smile form at hearing how determined she sounded, for while her dueling skills do need work, the girl is certainly an expert in caring about another's well-being...The boy Caden, however, seemed to think differently:

"Rgh, this isn't fair at all! I'm standing here right in front of your pretty red irises, and the name I'm hearing pass your lips is Tiffany? (Growl) Can't you forget about _her_ for now, and focus on dueling with _me_?!"

Athena was rather taken aback by the address:

"H-Huh? The heck are you sayin'...and what'd you say about my eyes?"

As for myself, I felt this strange feeling pass through my heart from how, passionate(?) the boy sounded, which also made me frown.

 _...What is this?...Why, do I feel this way?_

"Before you even think of making another move, I'm activating a Spell Card! Since you destroyed my sweet Stray, I can use Mysterious Cat Transformation and summon Monster Cat!"

The monster was indeed fierce in appearance, but was only Level One and had no visible Attack Points...But its ability will make up for it ten-fold.

"When Monster Cat is summoned to the field, its claws will come scratchin' down on your weaker monsters."

Achacha Archer is lost to us, and Caden adds,

"What makes this combo even more pur~fect, is that for every enemy Monster Cat destroys, you take 800 points of damage!"

Athena is thrown back onto the ground as her Life Points drop to 3200...

"That's what happens when you think about others while we're the ones dueling, Addy."

The smile on his face as he ended that sentence...for some reason, I did not care for it at all.  
But moving past that, Athena rises to her feet with no issues and retorts to Caden in a sarcastic manner,

"Great lesson. Congratulations, you have my undivided attention. I place one card face-down and end my turn."

Her opponent draws and exclaims,

"Hope you liked my kitty's tricks, 'cause there's another one Monster Cat's itchin' to show! Once every turn, it can rescue one Stray Cat from my deck or my Graveyard and place it in my hand. Once more, I can summon it instantly!"

He does just that, and I make note of how many monsters he has on his side of the field.

"He has three Level One Monsters on the field. Are you thinking what I am thinking?"

Athena nods and replies in a low volume,

"Yeah. He might be bustin' out a Number now...or it could be a regular XYZ. I'm not sure."

"I overlay my two Strays and Monster Cat to build the Overlay Network! Mreow, I XYZ summon, Twin-Tail Cat Lady! Careful you don't test her; her claws are sharper than mine!"

To my surprise, it wasn't a Number, but merely a regular Rank One monster with 1000 Attack Points.

"Why did he not summon the Number Card?"

Athena shrugs her shoulders at me, no more sure than I was, and Caden continues his turn.

"I now activate Twin-Tail's special ability: Once a turn, by using an overlay unit, she can increase her Attack Points by 800!"

Said monster's power rose to 1800 come one glow from their metal claws, and the girl beside me mutters with an annoyed expression,

"Shoot. What a time for math...Two more turns of that power, and that skin-tight beast will have...3400?"

Nodding, I comment,

"Hm, so you do pay attention in your math class, do you?"

"Oi, watch it! Math and me just have one of those weird frenemy relationships..."

Caden then says to Athena with a chuckle under his breath,

"It's been a blast dueling with you, Addy dear..."

Once again, I felt that strange feeling rise in my chest from the way that sentence was conveyed, but I pushed it away and noted instead,

"Perhaps he does not have a Number Card..."

Meanwhile, Athena turns around to face Caden and says,

"While I don't know who exactly you are...you're a fairly good duelist."

That compliment caused the boy's cheeks to colour a little (I believe Athena explained it as, blushing).

"Uh! You...you think so? (Smile) You've only seen the tip of the iceberg! (Readies a card) No cat should have to live in the unforgiving alleys! Mreow! I activate the Cat World Field Spell!"

 _A Field Spell, is it?_

The area around us all then shifts in accordance to the spell, showing us a vast field of green under a clear blue sky, where many of these felines were laying about near a giant cat statue. Athena mutters with widened eyes,

"Whoa...It's been a long while since I went up against someone who uses Field Spells..."

"Welcome to Cat World! A place where cats of all shapes and sizes can bask in the sun and play to their heart's content! For them, it's paradise...but for you, _it's a nightmare_. Here in this world, all Cat Monsters gain Attack Points equal to their original Attack Points."

Twin-Tail's power rose to 2800, making both myself and the girl beside me wince, which would not go unnoticed by Caden.

"Heh, your attention's caught now, hm? (Grin) Alright, Twin-Tail Cat Lady: Attack Addy directly!"

Said monster lunges with a humanoid-feline growl and slashes Athena across her torso, making her draw a sharp breath and fall back to kneel on one knee as her Life Points drop to 400!

...Yet, rather than be afraid, she smirked slightly and lets out a chuckle before activating a Trap she laid down before.

"Thought you'd do somethin' like that eventually, which is why I laid down this trap, Pixie Gong! Because I took direct damage, I'm now able to summon a pixie monster from my deck in Attack Mode. Joe the Pixie, ten-hut!"

The Level One monster appears to the field, and Caden comments adoringly at their appearance.

"Aww, cute! Let's see if he's got power to back up his appearance. Your move, Addy dear!"

I notice Athena's smirk falter slightly from the address (more than likely in annoyance), but she began to speak to the boy more casually than earlier.

"Heh, I'll admit, you're pretty good. Haven't dueled someone with this much passion before."

"(Blushing smile) Uh! Y-You mean that?"

"Sure, why not?"

"...It's, just that..."

That was when the boy became less confident in his speech, more withdrawn like how I remember observing him before now.

"It's just so, refreshing to hear you say that, because...well...Hah, in the real world, at school, there's this girl. She, either doesn't know I exist or barely acknowledges my presence. I see her all the time, she me, but, it's like there's a bubble separating any chances of going further than that..."

"Oh...that kind-a sucks..."

"I admit, maybe playing those little pranks wasn't the best approach, but, I thought they'd be enough for her to at least notice me. Sadly, they didn't work...I'm just so meek-hearted. I wish I could just buck up the courage and tell her that I like her."

 _Ah, so it was him who was giving Athena trouble these last several days..._

The spark of realization in her red irises told me she came to the same conclusion...  
But rather than get mad as I expected her to, she smiled sympathetically at Caden and replied,

"If that's the case, then why keep up the foreplay?"

"Huh?"

"She'll never know your feelings if you bottle them up like a dormant volcano. Just take a chance and let the world see what you've got."

"Uh...Addy...(Giggle) You're right! I'll do it; I'll go for it! (Deep breath) Athena Fujina, I think you're really great and...I-I like you!"

Said girl of address takes in a short breath of surprise, while I felt that surge of strange feelings bubble up in my chest again...It felt like seconds turned into minutes for that moment, until she replies calmly,

"I'm, flattered, Caden...and I'll tell you my answer, after this duel."

 _What?_

"Uh?"

"It's my Draw! First, I sacrifice Pinecono to the Graveyard, so I can summon Acorno to the field."

Said Level One monster jumps to the field...

"And now Pinecono's special ability activates: Because he was sent to the Graveyard, I can summon him straight back out!"

There were now three Level One monsters on the field...I knew instantly what Athena's next move was to be.

"Okay! I now overlay all three of my Level Ones to build the Overlay Network! Come on out, Baby Tiragon!"

Said monster whose abilities made up for its lower attack power appears to the field, flashing a smile down at their summoner, who smiles back before continuing with her turn.

"He won't be fighting alone, of course. Next, I summon forth Gagaga Magician!"

He appears at attention, but would not remain Level Four for much longer...

"I activate Gagaga's special ability, to make him Level One like Tiragon's Rank! And with that done, I activate Triagon's ability: Using one overlay unit, he can empower a Level One monster to attack your directly!"

Caden exclaims,

"Auh! Oh no...!"

"Gagaga Magician, attack Caden directly with Gagaga Magic!"

The wave of power that thrusts from the magician's fist forces the boy to shield himself with an outcry as his Life Points drop to 900.

"The magic's just getting started. You're up next, Baby Tiragon: Attack Twin-Tail Cat Lady!"

I was shocked that Athena would call such a play:

"Do what?! It does not have enough Attack Points!"

"(Chuckle) Tiragon will be more than capable for the job, thanks to this Spell in my hands, Ego Boost! He'll be getting 1000 points for this battle, while Twin-Tail's drop back to their original total!"

 _Oh my, that's a rather good play._

Athena sends an encouraging grin at Baby Tiragon and asks,

"You ready, little guy?"

They send a nod and tiny smirk of anticipation back, before their summoner makes the call.

"Then let the sharp-clawed woman have it! Go, Baby Stream!"

Baby Tiragon would end the battle with a breath of energy, destroying Twin-Tail Cat Lady while also throwing her summoner backwards with a yelp as his Life Points plummet to 0...

Athena removes her duel gazer and mutters to herself with a proud smirk,

"Looks like I win this time."

I meanwhile, was more pressed to seeing if the boy had a Number Card on his person...but found none to my slight disappointment...

That's when I focused on watching Athena walk around this balcony area to assist Caden in standing up.

"...Hey, you alright?"

"Huh?"

"(Slight smile) You dueled well, and, while I can't return your feelings toward me in the manner you're thinking...I'd be honoured if we could be friends, Cade. (Smirk) 'Course, I'll still need to know where you're hiding Tiff."

Caden, or Cade, coloured his cheeks a little and replies softly with a smile,

"...Alright, Addy."

After revealing Tiffany's true location, Athena and I would leave this area to one piece of the park she usually jogs through in the early morning...only to come across a rather strange sight, that being her friend and another large group of felines playing a game of sorts.

"Green light...Green light...Red light!"

 _Hm. What an odd game...Is it perhaps inspired from those, traffic lights?_

Athena was more pressed with Tiffany's condition:

"Tiff! What, the heck is goin' on here?"

"A-Addy..."

"...Haaaah, well, 'least you're not hurt or nothin'."

The girl with shorter black hair and blue irises laughs nervously with an embarrassed colouring of her cheeks, while the girl with longer black hair and red irises bends downward in exasperation...

Time Skip, No POV

The next morning, as Athena, Tiffany and Jamal began making their way to first class for a new day of learning, the second of the trio was trying to explain her reasoning for not letting the former know what happened yesterday sooner.

"The cats were really insistent on wanting to play. They had such cute expressions, I couldn't say no, and the next thing I knew, it was almost evening...Athena, please, when are you gonna stop being mad at me?"

Said girl turns to glare mildly at the other and reply stiffly,

"Check back at lunch and we'll see." Tiffany turns away with an annoyed pout:

"Ugh, you and your moods..."

"Uum..."

They and Jamal then have their attention turned to noneother than Caden, who approaches with a sideglance and shy, blushing cheeks...Jamal asks kindly,

"Hey, dude. Somethin' we can help you with?"

"...Uh, just, (shy smile) good morning."

Athena shoots him a friendly smirk and replies,

"Same to you," and the boy with sandy-brown hair dyed with gray rushes off with a quiet giggle...

"Uhm, anyone know who that was?"

Tiffany glares a bit at Jamal and replies,

"Don't be rude; that boy's in our class. His name is...um, his name is..."

"It's Caden, but he goes by Cade."

Both look at Athena in surprise for the knowledge, and she adds,

"He and I went into a cool duel the other day."

For some reason, this made Tiffany a bit bristled and she replies quietly,

"You did? Uh...t-that would've been good to know."

Jamal then asks as a way to wave off some tension,

"By the way, Addy, did you figure out who was pullin' those weird pranks on you?"

"...I did, but I'm not sayin' who."

"Huh? Why not?" She shrugs and replies casually,

"Not worth it, trust me. They might've been annoying, but it's not like my life was threatened, (wry smile) just my dignity."

Tiffany sends her a stiff look and retorts,

"Tuh, like your dignity is something you should worry about..."

She then starts walking off in a cool air, leaving behind a confused Athena and Jamal.

"Huh...What's gotten into her all of a sudden?"

"Beats me, but then again, she's always annoyed by somethin'..."

...But Astral, whom was hovering overhead the teens this entire time, had a different opinion.

"Observation Number Eleven: It seems that Athena is incapable of completely understanding the Females of her species...which is ironic considering that she is one."

 _Rather, she seems to understand the patterns of Males more, almost to the point where she mimics some of their mannerisms..._

 _Perhaps that was what Tiffany meant when she called Athena a 'Tom-boy'._


	10. Bittersweet Nostalgia

Time passes ever so slowly, and we find ourselves within the mysterious realm of Athena's key pendant, as Astral discovers another golden gear part that held a green-glowing dormant numeral representing one of the few XYZ Number Monsters in his possession, this time being 83 for Galaxy Queen...

Holding out his palm, he brandishes a smaller version of the symbol and activates that section to begin moving, as he makes note of this strange gizmo that seemed to offer more questions with each answer postulated.

"This gear seems to move every time I gather another one of the missing Number Cards...But why? Could it have something to do with my memory loss? Could solving this puzzle, also solve the mystery behind my amnesia?...And what does Athena have to do with it all? Why is this apparatus inside her key?"

...Meanwhile, back out in the real world of Heartland City, we catch up with the red-eyed blackette during a new early morning run, she dressed in a jogger's outfit consisting of a pale green halter top with white trimming matching her leggings and her black/red runners, hair tied back into a very long high ponytail. Currently, she was pausing her pace at a crosswalk in the downtown area, gulping a few breaths of air in and out as she mutters,

"Hah, hah, hoh wow, I gotta remember to watch it with downhill runs. Thank god they built an intersection here..."

She looks up just as the crosswalk light shifts to green, and grins slightly before saying to herself,

"Alright, off we go."

...But just as Athena starts to jog across the striped part of the road:

(Vrrrooooom)

A motor engine sounds from her left side, and she turns with wide eyes at the sight of an incoming duel runner!

"Shit!"

She tumbles into a somersault out of the way in the nick of time, while the rider swerves into a screeching halt in the middle of the road past the crosswalk...

Athena bolts back up on her feet with a growl before calling out the motorist on their reckless driving.

"The hell's wrong with you, lead-foot?! I had right of wa-Huh?"

She stops herself dead when her red irises lock with a very familiar cobalt blue...

"Shark..."

 _...Haven't seem him since our duel. Where's he been?_

The boy with blue-violet hair wouldn't utter a word, instead kicking the engine of his cycle to life again and speeding off, leaving Athena to watch his form disappear as she slowly wanders onto the other side of the road.

"...Hm, come to think of it, I haven't caught his form in the school halls for the last while...Is he skipping?"

 _Eh, whatever. I guess it's his life and his choice to be negligent to his education..._

With that, she continues on her way, plugging her headphones into her ears to drown out the sounds of the world around her...Soon, she would arrive at the Heartland Dueling Academy, quickly diving into the nearest girl's washroom to switch into her modified school uniform before heading off to meet her friends in the classroom for the first lecture of the day.

"Yo, what's up, people?"

"Alot, actually."

"Huh?"

She raises a brow at the addressing Caswell, who steps up to her form and reaches to dislodge her duel monster deck from its holder to look at.

"Oi!"

He ignores her protest and peers over the cards with Tiffany and Jamal looking over his shoulders.

"Hm...May I ask why those Number Cards aren't in your deck right now?"

"Psh, well duh, 'cause Astral's not kickin' around out here at the moment."

Tiffany smiles a bit in thought:

"I guess that makes sense, since the cards are a part of Astral's existence..."

"Hmph, well regardless, in the end, there's a good reason to why you wouldn't want them in the open."

Athena folds her arms and gives Caswell a challenging look:

"Oh really? Do tell."

The boy with bowl-cut hair's inquisitive expression falters slightly with a twinge of fear from the narrowed red irises, but maintains his ground before replying,

"It's 'cause they're your secret weapon, what lets you win every time."

...The girl with copper red-tipped black hair bursts into laughter from the accusation, causing Caswell to ask a bit indignantly,

"What's so funny?"

"That you actually believe in the quality of the cards over the quality of a duelist."

"Huh?"

Athena straightens back up with a wise and somewhat mocking smirk before stating,

"I admit my deck has gotten stronger since the introduction of these Number Cards, but it's having faith in my skills that makes me a good duelist. My own personal raw power is what fuels the inner fire of my monsters, along with the knowledge that grows each time I face an opponent."

"Even when you lose?"

"Especially when I lose...I can understand where your mind's teetering to, Cas, but logic only gets you so far. You can't move forward without tripping and eating concrete at least a couple times."

Tiffany holds a finger under her chin as she wonders to herself,

"Tripping and falling helps you move forward? How does that work?"

Jamal sweatdrops with a smile and answers,

"That's just Addy's way of saying 'No Pain, No Gain'."

Caswell then hands Athena back her deck and says to her,

"Alright, so maybe there's some merit to failing in order to succeed, but I think you and I both know there's only one real way of settling this dispute..."

"Hmph, (nod) a duel...Alright, game set: I'll even let you choose my opponent. Once more, I'll defeat them without using any of the Numbers in my possession."

That declaration caused the other girl and boy of the small group to mutter in concern and exasperation,

"Addy..."

"Oh geez..."

Meanwhile, the boy with light green eyes says to the girl he's challenging,

"Really? Even if the individual I want you to take on is your old foe, Shark?"

Hearing the name of said duelist sparked a minuscule frown onto Athena's lips, recalling the expression that was on the boy's face earlier this morning...Brushing it off, she forms a neutral face and replies casually,

"Fine, whatever. We'll go combing for him during break."

"Hang on a sec, Addy."

"Hm?"

She turns to meet Jamal's sea green eyes as he suddenly warns,

"I dunno if lookin' for Shark's a good idea."

"Why's that?"

"Ever since your guy's duel, he really shifted gears: From what I've heard, he's been hangin' 'round some roughneck creeps. If you decide to go challenging him, you could be in for the toughest duel of your life."

...Something in the way the message was conveyed made Athena's expression darken considerably.

"You say that like I haven't been in a tough fix before..."

"Uh...Addy..."

Shaking her head, she then turns her red irises to meet Tiffany's blue:

"Tiff, how long 'til the teach' gets here?"

"U-Um, about five, seven minutes, why?"

"(Nod) I got a phone call I need to make. Won't be but a minute or two."

Just as she moves to exit the classroom to use her duel gazer, she locks eyes with Caswell and tells him in a more serious tone,

"Exercise patience and the duel you want will come, Cas."

With that, she leaves out into the hall, while the other three teens watched her go with a mix of confusion and concern for the sudden change in mood...Once she was back in the hallway, Athena leans against the wall next to the classroom entrance to suck in a deep breath, before pulling out her gazer to scroll through her contact list for someone she hasn't talked to in a while...

(Brrring...Brrring...Brr-Ping)

"Hey, Akira."

 _"Addy...God, been a couple weeks since we last spoke...But I'm guessin' this isn't a courtesy call?"_

"Heh, I wish...Listen, I need some help locating somebody who might be hangin' about in or near your neighbourhood."

 _"Hm, 'kay...Got a name?"_

"...Shark Castle."

Time Skip, Athena's POV

It's now the end of another several hours of learning, and after getting a locale text from an old acquaintance of mine, I began moving out to a part of this so-proclaimed great city that's seen better days. Not to say that the worn-down architecture doesn't have its own beauty, but given that the populace of people living here ranges from addicts to homeless/barely scrapping by to delinquents, with only so few decent individuals mixed between, it'll be years before the area's ugly reputation fades away...

I look around at the corroding brickwork and crackling concrete, met a few of the eyes that stagger through these streets this time of day, only half of which looked in tune with the real world (sad but true), feeling a strange mix of wise bitterness and, dare I say...nostalgia.

 _Hm...Been a while since I wandered down these streets._

 _I should really consider popping by Akira's to say hey to him and his mom..._

 _...But I can do that another day: Right now I've got a job to do._

I turn down a new alleyway that leads down a set of stairs to an old rundown arcade I...broke into one time two years ago with a couple faceless individuals, which has since become a popular temporary joint for incoming and outgoing gangs. As I kept moving along, I think about how Caswell seemed so sure that these Number Cards are what makes me a good duelist.

"...But he doesn't seem to understand, or refuses to. It's the inner fire of the duelist that guarantees the chance of victory, not what they hold in their deck."

It was then Astral materializes out of the key and replies to me,

"I understand, Athena, if that helps."

"Hmph, was wonderin' when you'd be comin' back out today...But anyway, your support kind-a helps but also doesn't, partly 'cause you have to take half blame for my current fix."

"I am taking half blame? How so?"

I hum in a sarcastic manner before stating,

"Other than when you go diving into my key, you're constantly hovering over my being."

"Untrue. When you sleep, I no longer hover above you. (Mumble) More for my benefits, nor..."

 _Tch, more for his benefits, my ass..._

Reaching halfway down the staircase, I retort,

"Yeah well, your hovering is definitely prominent during my duels...which is why I'm requesting as politely as possible for you to back away this time."

"Why is that?"

"This upcoming duel...is more personal..."

Reaching the bottom, I peer down the next crack between two older and obviously abandoned buildings to where my eyes could see the flickering neon sign of the arcade, and felt a bitter smile form on my face.

"...Surprised there's not alot of scurries down here. Popularity must've shifted again."

"You've been here before?"

I look up at Astral, who was eyeing me with interest, then turn my eyes upward to the rooftops of those two buildings before the arcade...remembering a time back when my sense of humour was more grim and fake than nowadays...

 _(Flash)_

 _"Heh, another day in this crappy existence called life..."_

 _I let out a bark of a laugh with the older boy beside me, laying on a worn-out blanket on the rooftop as the grey skies began to let out a light sprinkle of rain..._

 _"How we continue to live is a mystery."_

 _There's a calm silence between the two of us...before I suddenly ask out of the blue,_

 _"...Ever wonder what it'd be like to die?"_

 _"Nah, that's fool's thinkin'. You think about it, it'll never come, 'cept to taunt ya."_

 _I hum in agreement, feeling the cold spray on my skin cool me down...while at the same time, numb some of the spiritual pain I was dealing with at the time..._

 _(Flash)_

"...Athena?"

"Hm?"

I snap out of my memory-land daze, and saw that Astral was looking at me with a flash of concern. Shaking my head and placing a palm on my face, I reply,

"Sorry, sorry...Got lost in thought...and, yeah, I've been here before. Couple times, actually..."

Removing the hand, I set my face into a frown and add,

"Unfortunately, I've come to know this district well. Almost too well..."

"Too well?...What does-"

"Hey, Addy!"

Our conversation was cut short by Jamal's shout, as he and Tiffany suddenly rush to meet me here at the foot of the stairs. Once they caught their breath, Tiffany then asks me,

"Athena...where exactly are you going, and, here of all parts of the city?"

"Where else? To duel Shark. (Looks ahead) According to Akira, his friends have spotted the boy wandering in and out of that junk-house."

"Is that who you called before class today?...How is Akira these days?"

Smiling just a touch, I began walking forward to the broken, buzzing sign with the others following behind as I reply to Jamal,

"He's been doin' alright. His mom finally got that raise at her manager job, and he's started some volunteer work at the homeless shelter."

"Oh, that's cool..."

Silence fell between us for a few minutes, until we were in front of the old arcade, its walls sporting a new spray-paint tag on the right side of the door, and a few cycles parked on the left...including Shark's.

 _So he is here...What the hell have you been up to, Shark?_

"This place is freakin' creepy..." I retort seriously with a scoff,

"Well if you wanna turn back, I'm not stoppin' you or Tiff...I've always warned you two not to follow me down this district, and now you've got a visual why."

"Addy..."

Ignoring my gal pal's worried mutter of my name, I made my way inside the building, meeting the familiar sight of the vandalized walls, a few machines barely functioning while the rest were smashed beyond repair, glass and cigarette buds littering in pockets on pieces of the floor, and the faint scent of alcohol lingering in the air...I feel a grim smirk form on my lips as I muse,

"Keh, yet another familiar sight in this crap-shoot area...To think, I wailed a fist or two in these walls, shoved a machine over that pooled out a dead rat. Wonder if the skeleton's still there?"

Astral hovers near me and shoots me an astonished expression:

"You were responsible for vandalism in this place?"

"Some of it, not all of it...It was back during a time where things like being a good person and how someone looked at me, meant absolutely nothing...Back when I was numb as ice to the world."

"...Was this before, or after you were kidnapped by those rogue humans?"

A closed-eye frown forms on my face as I mutter quietly,

"...After, during my extreme coping days, and before I got a gut-check to reality."

I hear some shoes click up beside me, belonging to noneother than Tiffany, who looks around this place with frightened eyes, to which I could not blame her for.

 _She's still got her innocence to the world...Something I sometimes wish I could get back._

(Rattle...)

"Hm?"

I tense up on alert from the sound of chains gently beating the ground:

 _What was...Oh crap, we're not alone on this floor!_

"Tiffany, back up to the door, slowly."

"Addy?"

I hiss at her urgently,

"Just do it," but would freeze when Jamal was suddenly snatched up my his neck!

"Guh!"

"Jamal!" "Hey!"

"G-Get off me! Lemme go!"

The bulk who nabbed him had to be close to six foot, with deeply tanned skin, black hair styled in dreadlocks like Jamal's only somewhat wilder and shorter, contrasting his sharp-looking blond-brown eyebrows, coal brown eyes, and wore a black muscle tank-top that showcased his burly muscles, a thick chain around his wrist like a cuff bracelet, green jeans that were ripped at the bottoms held up by a studded belt, and black shoes.

"What're you little pipsqueaks doin' here? Don't you know this is our territory?"

His gruff tone did nothing to scare me, and I glared back while retorting,

"Yeah, says who? Last I checked, this is a halfway point for punks like you that got no business being in this city. But nevermind that; let Jamal down before I knock your block off!"

I raise a fist for emphasis...which was suddenly grabbed by another strong hand that yanked me backwards into the grip of another!

"Addy!"

Cursing to myself, I whirl my eyes over my shoulder to see who had the balls to grab me: This guy was skinnier than the first one, skin a shade paler than mine, buzz-cut dark brown hair with two red strips dyed in on the sides, black-brown eyes with a thin scar running over his left eyebrow, a clip earring on his left, a simple beaded necklace, and wore an outfit of a white shirt trimmed with red on the v-collar and rolled-up sleeves with a grey belt around his waist, white pants, black biker gloves, and white shoes.

With his hands keeping my wrists pressed to my back, all I could do was growl a vague threat his way...for the moment.

"Rgh, hands off, you creep, or you're gonna get it!" He sneers back,

"I wouldn't bet on that."

That's when the rest of this little posse appears out of the shadows, including a scraggly redheaded male that couldn't have been older than his late teens.

"Well what've we got here?" He sends a wicked smile at Tiffany and jeers,

"If you're lookin' for trouble, it's found, heh."

She looks at me for help, and I flash her a calming expression before barking at these yahoos for thinking they own these grounds.

"I'm only lookin' for one dude, not a clan of jerks who think they can get away with terrorizing everyone they come across! So I'll give you two options: Back off or face my wrath!"

The small gang looks at me with teasing smiles, while Astral hovers to my side and comments,

"That strategy is not sound: These thugs do not appear the type that are willing to simply just 'back off'."

I grumble back through clenched teeth,

"Not, helping, Astral!"

The guy holding me hostage then says to the one gripping Jamal,

"Hey, Scorch: What's the next move?"

"Teach 'em a lesson."

...I let out a low chuckle, causing them to dart their eyes on me, just as I raise my head with a dark smile and comment,

"Funny... _I was just thinkin' the same about you two._ "

"Huh?" "Huh?"

Two seconds was all I needed to shift my hand to grab one of the wrists holding mine in a bone-cracking grip, causing him to yelp as I twist out of his hold and knee him hard in the stomach!

I hear a sharp intake of breaths as the poser dropped to his own knees, before I whirled around and sweep-kicked Scorch's legs, tripping him backwards and drop his choke-hold on Jamal.

"Uh!"

...But I knew these guys were tougher than iron and would be back on their feet in no time, so I made the split-second choice to get my friend out of the line of capture again, yanking him by his arm away from Scorch and shoving him towards Tiffany, just as I was snatched into the other punk's hands again!

"Addy!" "Athena!"

I struggled hard, but his grip on my arms was too tight:

 _Shoot..._

Scorch rises to a stand again while biting back a growl, before he locks eyes on me with a seething glare and steps over to yank my head back by my hair, making me wince from the controlled sensation rather than pain (since that ship sailed into the Bermuda long ago...).

"Why you little bi-...Hang on a second..."

His grip on my hair ceases, before I felt a new one on my chin as he tilts my face to be in full-view for his eyes, his expression set into a frown of thought.

"You...You look like someone one of my freaky cousins described a long while back. Some crazy chick who kicked his ass in a fight at that old forest buildin' that got turned into a young punk's club."

My eyes widen the slightest:

 _Oh crap...!_

The guy holding me in place tugs me back to he could get a look at my face...and forms a wry grin.

"You're right. She does look like a cleaner version of that girl, what's her nickname... _Berserker._ "

Hearing that name again...that title, sent a shiver down my spine, one that didn't go unnoticed by these two men.

"Heh, look at her, Chills: Not as tough as before, is she? What's wrong, kid? Scared of a ghost or somethin'?"

 _Ghost?...Oh._

 _I get it: He must've fed a cock and bull that I'm dead in this part of the city._

I relax considerably, causing Scorch and Chills to look at me with raised brows.

"Hm?"

"What're you thinkin' 'bout now, pipsqueak?"

"Nothin' a dead-end man like you need worry about. (Smirk) I doubt someone with your IQ would understand, anyway."

"Gh! Why you-!"

"Stop."

Before Scorch could make the move to sock me with his fist, a familiar male calls a halt to this weird interrogation, and I turn to the stairwell to see noneother than the subject of my mission in his casual outfit looking over all of us with a stern glare.

"Let go of the little brats."

I mutter his name as he settles at the foot of the stairs, before Scorch asks,

"What? You know 'em or somethin'?"

"Sure do."

Chills leans his head down my my right ear and hisses with a smirk,

"Guess it's your lucky day, little girl," before shoving me into the safer arms of my friends...

Once he, Scorch and the other four guys exit the abandoned arcade, Shark moves his position to briefly stand by us and says,

"You shouldn't have come here."

I step up and counter back,

"Why shouldn't I? I've marked these walls before, back when I was younger and stupid to the consequences..."

He glances over his shoulder and looks at me with a flash of surprise, before I brush off the remark in a dry air.

"But that's besides the point: I'm here because you and I need to talk."

He asks back,

"About what, exactly?"

"Having a duel, that's what, which'll hopefully open the conversation to why you're suddenly being a dumbass and hanging around crowds like that lot."

Shark's eyes widen a bit from my answer...before he settles into a sneered smirk with a bitter ghost of a chuckle.

"I can't duel you."

"Why not?"

"Because I quit dueling."

 _What?_

It was my turn to widen my own eyes as Tiffany and Jamal take in sharp, confused breaths, before Shark turns his back to me and wanders out while calling,

"I've moved on, Athena, and now, I'm moving on from you."

Only one thought came to my head as the door closed:

 _...Bullshit._

Small Time Skip

Once I safely guided my friends out of that district of the city, we all decided to walk over near the small bridge that went over the riverside, the sunset beginning its burnout for the day...

"Bit of a damn shame, ain't it? That Shark's changed that much..."

I hear Tiffany hum in agreement, before she asks me,

"What do you think of it, Addy?"

Astral winds up making his own comment before I formed an answer:

"After observing you, I think I know what you are going to say: 'Good riddance to that bullying pest'...Am I correct, Athena?"

...I look back out to the sparkling water for a minute, before puffing out a sigh and replying to him and Tiffany,

"I think that Shark's full of it."

"Huh? Full of what?"

"Of a fake bitterness to dueling, Jamal. He's lying about quitting dueling to cover up something he's being too much of a wuss to face right now."

I formed a sad frown as I add a bit quieter,

"...Something I can relate to, in a way. After all, I once hung up my duel disk for a long period minus those shotty battles that can't even be called duels, nearly never picking it up again...just 'cause I chose to shut myself away from everything alive."

I hear my two best friends mutter my name solemnly, while feeling a stare from those mismatched gold and white...

Later on come nightfall, I'd be laying casually over the covers of my bed, dressed in my salmon red tank-top sleep-dress, with one arm tucked behind my head and the other lying limp, my mind too muddled with today's activity, as well as some ugly memories from a time when my emotions were close to hanging themselves.

 _(Flash)_

 _"I've moved on, Athena, and now, I'm moving on from you."_

 _(Flash)_

 _"You're aware that you're gonna get yourself killed one of these days, right?"_

 _"Your point being?"_

 _"You may be in deep...but you can still walk."_

 _"...I wish it was that simple, Aki. I really do."_

 _(Flash)_

 _"You've got a future here as a titled fighter, Berserker. Don't let anything stand in your way. Show anyone who crosses you no mercy."_

 _"Way ahead of you on that, Trilos...'cause I no longer have mercy for myself."_

 _(Flash)_

 _...I can't let him lose himself like I nearly lost myself. Dueling, is the only thing keeping my head in check from falling deep again._

 _I know Shark feels that way too..._

"...Are you alright, Athena? It is past the time you usually fall asleep, but you are still wide awake."

Fighting the urge to jump out of my flesh, I turned my eyes to meet Astral's, nearly forgetting he was near the side of my bed...I then sighed deeply and reply quiet-like,

"No, I'm not alright...My mind's racin' with things I seldom speak aloud, connected to a part of my life that sometimes makes me ashamed to be in my own skin."

"Ashamed? Why is that? Unless...does it have to do why you were acting out in that arcade building?"

"(Nod) Yeah...See, believe it or not, I used to have a worse attitude than I reflect these days. Hard as stone to my own emotions...'cause I chose to allow myself to be lured into a lifestyle that requires you to put up that imaginary brick wall around your heart, or face near-death."

Astral's eyes widen considerably from my harsh description, and I smirk grimly as I muse,

"Kind-of ironic, though, since that action would send me on a one-way train ticket to my own self-destruction...That's why I'm a little upset over Shark's situation: He's only taken a couple steps down that direction, but...if he keeps movin', he's gonna lose alot more than his will to duel."

I frown sadly and add,

"...His history will be erased, and will transform into a dishonourable mention of 'Lost Causes'...something I almost became."

"But what was this activity you were lured in? And those, 'duels that were not duels'; what did you mean by that? What are you not saying, Athena?"

Letting out another sigh, I roll onto my side and I shimmy under the covers of my bed as this conversation began to drain me mentally.

"I told you already, Astral: That part of my past isn't easy for me to talk about so casually...Don't get me wrong. I, want to be able to talk about it without my voice getting caught in my throat...but the memories, they still, hurt, spiritually, I mean."

The room goes quiet for a moment...until my senses picked up on something over my head, and I glance up to see a blue hand hovering just half a centimeter over my hair.

"Uh...Astral...?"

"It's alright...I will not push you to speak if you do not want to."

Hearing the sympathy in his tone...it made my chest feel less constricted, yet at the same time, I felt something in my heart rise.

 _...Good god...I've really started forging a trust with this strange boy, haven't I?_

Smiling a tiny smile, I nod a bit and whisper,

"Thank you," making him nod before he gently chides,

"Now, perhaps you should get some sleep if you wish to function properly tomorrow."

I hum in agreement, before shutting my eyes to drift along to dreamland, which I prayed wouldn't haunt me for this one night...

Time Skip, No POV

Come the next morning, we find ourselves looking within one of the many classrooms of the Heartland Dueling Academy's spaciously-connected campus, as Tiffany (who was wearing her lemon yellow-rimmed glasses today) readies to unpack her bookbag, only to pause when Jamal approaches her to ask,

"Hey, Tiff, has Addy come in yet?"

Caswell joins them as she replies,

"Not that I've seen...Let me guess, you haven't seen her either?"

"Nope...which means there's only one place she could be right now..."

The boy with dreadlocks shakes his head, before shooting a stern expression at the boy with a bowl-cut.

"You just have to prove your own opinion's the right one over the stupidest topics, don'cha, genius?"

The latter flinches, and looks down with a guilty expression...

Meanwhile, over in the abused streets of the older city district that seldom few high-ranked individuals wander to, Athena was confronting Shark once again about his recent behaviour. Today, she wore her hair back in a very long braid, highlighting her outfit that consisted of a spaghetti-strap dark blue tank-top under her black leather jacket, acid white-stained black skinny jeans with a red/black plaid skirt overtop that ran to just before her kneecaps, and a pair of black sneakers with sky blue laces.

"What do you want?"

"You know damn well what: To duel and get a straight answer out of why you've been acting like you died since our first battle."

"You wouldn't understand."

"I understand alot better than you think I do...Come on, Shark, don't pussyfoot around me: Break out the deck and just duel me!"

"For the last time, Athena, I have quit!"

With that, the boy with cerulean irises breaks into a run out of the area, leaving the girl to grumble,

"Oh, you've gotta be kidding me," before rushing off after him:

"Get back here!"

The chase first ran through an alleyway exiting the run-down arcade left, which would be blocked off by a tall wire fence. But Shark was able to wall/fence jump side-to-side to vault over the blockade, while Athena spots several crates propped against a large dumpster on her right, and uses them like a step ladder before doing a somersault-jump over the top of the fence!

"Hah!"

 _(Flash)_

 _Frantic feet rush down that same alleyway during the cover of night, belonging to a small group of teens mixed with a few preteens, the latter including a familiar, younger girl with red irises dressed in a rough-looking leather outfit, biker boots included._

 _"Hah...hah...Quick, over the fence!"_

 _Two taller individuals ready themselves at the front of the fence and help launch the rest over the blockade, before they gripped the wire webbing to spider-climb over on their own, just as a few random strangers scrapping into adulthood, dressed in worse for wear clothing come staggering over to the area, bending over to catch their breath while one, whose t-shirt had a freshly-sprayed paint tag on it, waves a fist and shouts,_

 _"You little pricks!"_

 _The small group of teens and preteens jog off while howling with laughter, the girl slide-fiving a taller teen with a cheeky grin that was mixed with real and fake emotion..._

 _(Flash)_

The memory comes to a close upon Athena's landing, and she glances back at the fence with a ghost of a mischievous smile, before getting back on task...

The next leg of the run would take us out of the worn district over a large, controlled pond with an abstract fountain streaming in the middle, and a nearby information center built on the other side. The chased would hop across the floating step stones first without showing signs of slowing down, but so would the chaser as she calls,

"Will you stop running already, idiot?!"

(Trip)

"Whoa!"

 _(Flash)_

 _Another day pops to mind, just a few weeks after Athena left a darker part of her life behind..._

 _"Hahaha, come on, you guys, the curry buns will be gone before long!"_

 _She's rushing across that same waterway path, her clothes no longer reflecting a morbid outlook, with her two best friends and old acquaintance bringing up the rear._

 _"Slow down a bit, Addy!"_

 _"Yeah, it's not like they'll evaporate!"_

 _"Listen to 'em, Ad-Oh shoot, watch your footing!"_

 _"Huh?"_

 _(Slide)_

 _"Yah!"_

 _(Splash...)_

 _The girl suddenly slips on a wet patch on one of the stones just before the other side, and goes tumbling into the controlled pond...She pops out just a few seconds afterward with a sputtering breath, while the other three people burst into laughs while settling on solid ground._

 _"Nice fumble-dive!" "Oh Addy...!"_

 _"Least you've got a cool-down before we hit the spicy food."_

 _She in turn breaks into her own chuckle before swimming over to left herself out of the pond, shaking off the excess water while retorting,_

 _"Very funny. Keep laughing and I'll shove you lot into the deep next."_

 _"Gah!" "You wouldn't...!" "Too cruel!"_

 _The girl flashes a wicked but joking smile..._

 _(Flash)_

"(Small smirk) Oh-hoh no, I'm not goin' for a swim this time!"

Shifting her angle, Athena directs herself to land onto the next stepping stone on her palms before flipping her body a few feet to land smoothly on the edge of the other side. She quickly took off in a run after the subject of her chase while quirking mentally,

 _Guess I have to take back those insults I cussed out when Tiff signed me up for those ballet gymnastic classes she had a groupon for last year..._

...Eventually, the race would end over the ocean just as dusk began making itself known with the dim orange hues bouncing over the water and concrete roads of an unfinished interstate highway. Shark would pause to catch his breath, muttering to himself,

"I finally lost her..."

"...Finally slowed to a halt, huh?"

"Gh!"

He whirls around to meet the smirking face of the girl who hunted him down, who says to him after straightening up from her own deep breathing,

"Guess no one told you I can't be dodged easy. Now, you ready to concede this dumb cat and mouse run and bring your disk out?"

...The boy doesn't respond, and turns to walk away again, causing Athena to frown and call harshly,

"So that's it, then? You're gonna continue being a wussy little coward and refuse to face your problems?"

That stopped him dead in his tracks, and he grinds his teeth before turning back to the girl to yell,

"Shut up! How dare you call me a coward!"

"I ain't daring anything: I'm stating a fact."

"Why are you so insistent on prying into my head anyway?!"

"Because I've been down your road before, Shark!"

He falters his angered expression to make room for shock from how serious Athena's tone became.

"Like I said before, I understand your frustrations better than you think. I too have gone through a rough patch, choosing to forgo any help...and it nearly costed me my life."

 _(Flash)_

 _A beaten-up, leather-clad young form staggers down a greying street in the pouring rain, her breath ragged and hazed with the occasional head twitch, each step mirroring that of a drunken stupor..._

 _But this individual, was experiencing a state of consciousness that almost made her wish she was drunk._

 _(Flash)_

Shaking off the shadowy memory, the girl's red irises soften to reflect concern and a deep depression mixed with a grizzly anger.

"Needless to say, it's a miracle I've been able to pick up my dueling equipment with a clear-enough head...I was drowning, and just barely managed to pull myself out of the deep away from some really bad people. But you...Shark, you're only in the shallow end. You still have a chance to walk away early before you can no longer distinguish the exit point."

...Shark stared at Athena with a stunned expression for a few more seconds, before relaxing into a stubborn frown while looking down at the ground with a hand on his hip.

"Sounds like you've been in some big trouble before...But still: It's none of your business who I hang with or what I do, Athena."

"Too late. Your business became my business the second we first dueled. I don't give a rat's ass if you acknowledge it or not, but a good number of my dueling rivals, including you, automatically become my friends...With that said, here's a deal for ya: One duel, and if I beat you, you tell those losers you've been hoverin' with to go suck a lemon."

"Yeah? And what do I get if I win?"

The girl with the long black braid tipped copper red shifts her left hand to lightly grip the string of her pendant, holding it up slightly to broadcast to the boy several feet across from her.

"The same thing you were after during our first confrontation: My key."

Astral floats down near to try and protest:

"No, Athena. Wait." She replies to him in a stern air,

"Stand down, Astral."

Shark's lips form a short-lived grin of anticipation:

"Keh...okay. (Neutral frown) You've got yourself a deal. And once this is all over, I'm gonna get that necklace of yours."

"Don't count on it."

The duelists prepare themselves for the battle yet to commence, the air thick with tension, as the blue-skinned being once again tries to steer some sense into the girl he follows.

"Athena...are you, sure about this?"

"Yes I am. And as I said before, I don't want you to advise me during this duel. I also want to avoid using the Numbers."

"But why?"

"Because I want to show that it's faith, a duelist's inner fire that guarantees victory, not the cards they hold."

...She then glances over to her left, just as three familiar faces wearing their academy uniforms arrive on scene.

"Kh, 'bout time they showed up. Hey, Caswell!"

Said addressee stiffens to attention from the girl's call, as she narrows her eyes in a scrutinizing manner and says,

"You've got your wish for another duel...You just better pray that any form of consequence that could rear its ugly head by the end is worth it."

"Uh...Addy..."

The other boy and girl flinch from how stern their friend sounded, while she faces her front again with an exhaled puff and continues alliterating her motives with Astral.

"Anyway, why should I use Numbers against someone who's got none? That'd be an unfair advantage for me, and a major disadvantage for Shark."

The latter's lips part slightly in awe, as Athena then smiles grimly to add,

"Plus let's face it: This duel's become more than just provin' a petty point to a smart alack. It's about steering the boy a distant ways from me away from a life path that could very well destroy him. I, don't want that for Shark...I want him to achieve his mark on the world."

With that message in the wind, Astral nods in understanding before replying as he floats back a bit from the girl,

"Alright then. Consider me a spectator."

As this was going on, the subject of the red-eyed girl's new goal was glaring seriously at the other with his cerulean blue.

 _I haven't forgotten our last duel, Athena..._

His teeth clench as he recalls the moment he was thrown back by Utopia's perilous blade attack...

 _If I'm gonna come out of early retirement, (sneer) I can think of no better reason than to do it to beat you!_

The girl on his thought process would make the opening call:

"Alright, game on! Duel Disk: Go! Duel Gazer: Open a new page! Duel Interface: Show me the world beyond imaginable!"

 **Augmented Reality Vision Link Established.**

Everyone else would follow with their own duel gazers, Shark his equipment and deck, before both players cry out with anticipating grins,

"Let's do this!"

(...Pulse)

"Uh...!"

That's when Athena felt a minuscule wave of dizziness pass through her body, and she staggers sideways ever so slightly while clutching the side of her head as her vision blurs a little, feeling her heartbeat skip...

 _Oh, damn...don't tell me we're at that time again...!_

"Addy...?" "Athena, are you okay?"

Snapping out of her haziness, she darts her red irises to the sidelines where her friends were, the three eyeing her with wary and concerned expressions. Flashing a reassuring smirk, Athena calls back,

"Y-Yeah yeah, I'm good; just sped through the beginnin' too quick, I think. Heheh..."

Her hint of a stutter and nervous laughter didn't fool Tiffany, who watched her friend with a thoughtful frown.

 _Something's wrong...I can feel it._

 _When Addy's playing the antsy smile, she's usually trying to cover a rising worry over something._

 _But what?_

Meanwhile, the girl with the long braid of black dyed copper-red at the tip shakes her head and thinks to herself with a slight frown,

 _If that was the warning sign of what I think it was...I better step up the pace before things tilt to fatal._

"Alright, my Draw! First, I summon Gogogo Golem in Defense Mode!"

Said monster jumps onto the field while gesturing a cross-block, displaying 1500 Defense Points. Astral then warns,

"Be careful, Athena. Shark has a trove of powerful beasts. That Golem is tough, but-"

"I know, I know, keep my guard up. Now please put a lid on it. I place one card face down, and end my turn!"

 _No point in leaving my monster vulnerable when they can't attack..._

 _Plus with the Trap, Battle Break set, I can destroy a monster from Shark's side that tries to shoot me down._

 _(Small smile) May not add to much, but this is a definite sign I'm improving my dueling skills._

"My turn! I Draw! First I summon, Friller Rabca!"

Level Three with 700 Attack Points displayed, this monster had the guise of a monstrous barracuda/minnow hybrid with sunset colours making up its scales. Astral thinks to himself aloud,

"But it only has 700 Attack Points...What could Shark be planning?"

"Now I summon Shark Stickers!"

A whirlwind of water manifests on Rabca's side, before revealing an eel-like monster that was also Level Three but with 200 Attack Points.

"You see, Athena, when Friller Rabca's on the field, Shark Stickers can be summoned from my hand."

The being invisible to all eyes but one then mutters,

"And I think I know what's coming next..."

Athena grumbles in a scoff,

"Tch, well that didn't take long, did it," while fighting a dull pressure that was very slowly building in her lungs...

"I overlay Friller Rabca and Shark Stickers! With these two monsters, I can build the Overlay Network and XYZ Summon!"

The two blue streams of light dive into the red vortex...

"Ha! Now say hello to Aero Shark!"

And said Rank Three monster would crash its way out of the concrete under to attention on Shark's side of the duel field...Athena looks up at it with no fear, noting,

"1900 Attack Points...Stronger by 400 than Golem, who's thankfully in Defense Mode. My trap will hold out fine...but at least my monster has a second protection with its ability handy."

Yet her monster's safety would quickly be the least of her concerns...

"Now I'll play Aero Shark's ability: By using up one Overlay Unit, you take 400 points of damage for every card in my hand! And since I have four cards in my hand, that adds up to 1600 points of damage, Athena!"

The XYZ monster shoots out a barrage of skinny missiles in Athena's direction, who forms a cross-shield in similar fashion to her Golem just as the attack connects. Her friends make sounds of worry...but the smoke clears to reveal a grimly-smiling girl who rose to her feet as her Life Points dropped to 2400.

 _A good play, I'll give him that..._

Shark was momentarily taken aback by the smile and ease of the girl's rise, but brushes it off to continue his turn.

"Next I activate the Spell, Mystical Space Typhoon from my hand! Thanks to Typhoon, I can blow one Spell or Trap Card off the field."

A strong twister dusts its tail onto the field, and knocks away Athena's face-down before it disintegrated into pixels, making her curse under her breath...

"Now go, Aero Shark: Attack Gogogo Golem with Devouring Dive!"

"Hmph! You may have destroyed my Trap, but Gogogo Golem's still safe for another round! Because he's in Defense Mode, he can avoid being destroyed once per turn!"

"Maybe so, but you're still gonna take damage!"

The twin-set fish beast dive-bombs against the golem's body, but only succeeds in shoving it backwards, while impact of the attack throws the red-eyed girl into the air as her Life Points settled downward to 2000...

"I now place one card face-down, and end my move!"

Just as the boy makes that call, Athena pushes herself from her back and chuckles quietly with a smirk, causing Caswell to raise an incredulous brow.

"How could she be laughing at a time like this?! Athena's already down to 2000 Life Points after just one turn!"

Jamal replies with a headshake,

"What can I tell ya, Cas? That's just Addy: She laughs at the face of danger...Still, gotta say, Shark duels too well to claim early retirement."

"That's the least of my concerns right now."

"Hm?"

Both boys turn to eye the girl standing with them, whose blue eyes shone with worry behind her lemon yellow glasses and were directed at the other female in the area.

"I'm, getting this bad feeling...My inner BFF alarm's going off."

"How come?"

"Didn't either of you see that dizzy spell before the duel started? And look carefully: Her breathing is puffing here and there, and she's perspiring more than usual..."

The boys turn to search for that description...and began to notice said details, as well as a very discreet but constant shift of footing, like the girl was struggling to stay upright.

"You're right..."

"Tiff...Are you thinkin' that Addy's metabolism-"

"Could be spiking? (Gulp) I'm crossing my fingers it's not...but the signs are beginning to gear up."

As those three teens discussed their rising anxiety, Shark was eyeing Athena with suspicion at how she was just getting off the ground from the attack like it did nothing.

 _How is she doin' that? It's like she's a brick wall, but, that can't be right..._

 _And she's smirking. Why?_

"Hey...what's your deal here?"

"Hm?"

"How do you keep getting back up like you can't feel any sort of pain?"

"...Because I can't."

That blunt response wasn't something Shark expected:

"What?"

"I literally cannot feel any sort of physical pain. Wish I could say it was a genetic condition or whatever, since that would be less terrifying than how I really got this way..."

The girl looks down at her free hand and clenches it into a fist:

"But I suppose my freaky ability does have its benefits. For example, you can use me right now as your punching bag if you're that desperate enough to vent out your anger."

She darts her red irises to lock with her opponent's cerulean:

"I'm willin' to bet that's why you brought out Aero Shark so early into this game, so you could doll out a wailing against me, whom you zeroed on as the source of your current predicament. Am I right or wrong? You blame me for the loss of your inner fire in our first duel, an upstart who's barely making her mark in the Dueling history books."

Shark clenches his teeth with a wide-eyed expression from the accusation, as the girl adds in a strong voice,

"Well here's a new flash, Shark: I'm not the reason you lost. Your ego was...and I find it sad that I gotta dish out that same lesson again."

"S-Shut, up...Shut up!"

Everyone else widens their eyes from the conversation conveyed and the reactions, while Athena closes her eyes with a frown.

"You're only proving my point...and I get it, 'cause I've been in your place before, which is why I cannot allow you to fall."

She sets her face into a determined glare and shouts,

"I won't let you lose yourself, Shark! My Draw!"

The card that she drew, was noneother than her Gagaga Magician.

"Heh, wondered when I'd be seeing you..."

 _Now then...since I've sworn not to use Numbers this time, I'll need to come up with a different strategy to avoid the obvious move._

 _Let's see..._

 _Stinging Swordsman has the ability to drive away Spells and Traps back to my opponent's hand, but only when he dolls direct damage._

 _Monster Reborn's a good card too, but not useful right now._

 _...That leaves Gagaga, Zubaba and Atraffic Control._

(Pulse, pulse...)

"Rgh..."

The girl then rubs her eyes furiously as she felt a new wave of dizziness hit her, and takes in slow, deep breaths to calm herself, only to find a new shortness to them.

 _Crap, I'm gettin' too close to the blackout..._

 _Much as I wanna break and refuel, I gotta block this out for just a little longer._

Wiping away some sweat from her forehead, Athena then hums to herself,

 _Okay...here's an idea: I'll summon one of those monsters in Defense Mode with Golem, then place down Atraffic Control._

 _That should give me a decent enough defense until I can find a way to bring out Baby Tiragon._

 _With him, I can pull off the same move I did against Flip. While I don't know Shark's strategy in full, he's likely gonna try another Spell or Trap, or both to throw me off...But he'll be the one thrown off his game._

Nodding to herself firmly, Athena begins the first part of her plan:

"I summon Zubaba Knight in Defense Mode!"

Said Level Four monster jumps to the field, but then positions himself in a shielding manner with 900 Defense Points displayed. The three teens on the sidelines began discussing amongst themselves over the latest play.

"Say, aren't Zubaba and Golem both Level Four?"

"You don't think Addy's gonna-"

Jamal shook his head furiously at the other two:

"No way! She said she wasn't gonna summon even one Number, and I believe her...Besides, if she was that careless, why would she go to the trouble of setting Zubaba in Defense Mode?"

"Uh!...You're right, Jamal."

"Then what is she up to?"

That was the same if similar question that ran across Astral's mind as he silently eyed the girl's form.

 _There was a much lengthier pause in her moves this time..._

 _She is truly trying to use some sort of strategy, but of what kind?_

 _...What are you doing now, Athena?_

Said girl begins opening her mouth as she inches her free fingers to her next card, but stopped when Shark suddenly calls to her in a taunt,

"Go on! Play that Number...I want you to!"

"What?"

Caswell exclaims after Athena,

"Has Shark lost his mind?!" Jamal was thinking similarly:

"He does remember that only a Number can destroy a Number, right? And that he's got none after his last duel against Athena...What's he thinkin'?"

...Athena's hand reaches to grip her next play, but waits to hear her opponent out.

"Why do you want me to play a Number?"

"Hmph, why else? Isn't that the only way you're gonna be able to beat me?...But then again, maybe your Number's not enough: Maybe the real reason I agreed to this duel was so I can prove I can take it down!"

She grits her teeth in annoyance from such an answer:

 _Tch, now he's acting close to Caswell's thinking..._

 _Yet I, almost want to humour him and summon out Utopia, but that would completely contradict my reasons for dueling._

"Athena."

"Hm?"

She turns her head over her shoulder to look at Astral:

"If the duelist really makes the card, then it should not matter if that card in question happens to be weak or to be strong."

"Your point being?"

"Remember your more noble reason you've set to accomplish: Not to help your ego as a duelist...but to help your friend Shark."

"...Yes, that's right...Which is why I'm sticking to my current plan, and won't bother to humour him or Cas."

Astral forms a confused expression, as Athena forms a ghost of a smile.

"Thanks for reminding me not to get distracted."

"Athena...what are you-"

"Just watch."

She turns to face the front and gives Shark a straight expression while stating to him,

"Sorry to disappoint you...but the monster you want to see won't be making an appearance today, not 'cause of a dumb little wager, (small smirk) but because I wanna prove there's more than one way to meet an end."

"Uh! What do you-"

"I place one card face-down, and end my turn. Your move, Shark; make it count."

The boy's jaw slacks slightly in shock from the play in time with the eyes on the sidelines that widened.

"She, didn't summon..."

"I was almost certain she'd bring out Utopia. In the end...I was wrong."

Jamal then smiles proudly and says to the other two,

"Told you guys. Once Addy's on a mission, she'll find any way she can to skid to the home plate."

 _I just hope you've got an idea of what you're doin', my friend..._

But while the dark-skinned boy with dreadlocks was reflecting a positive expression, Shark's face was displaying fury.

 _Grh! Why?! Why didn't she summon that damn Number?!_

"You're hesitating, Shark. Why is that?"

He darts his irises upward to meet Athena's, who folded her arms with a knowing smirk plastered onto her face.

"You've really let that duel's bitterness get to you, huh? So bad that if you could, you'd wail a fist at Utopia's torso like it was a cardboard standee...Come on, I'm showing you don't need to rely on powerful monsters to make a duel interesting. Why can't you-"

(PULSE)

"GH!"

Suddenly, Athena's eyes shoot wide as saucers...and she grips her free hand over where her heart was, feeling a particularly strong beat that shook her skin!

 _Oh, no...!_

The feeling of panic began to rise, as the girl struggles to breathe properly, each puff of air in and out sounding a wheezy manner, making everyone stiffen to attention.

"Huh?" "Addy?"

"Addy, what's wrong?!"

Astral hovers to the girl's side to try and inquire an answer:

"Athena, what is going on? Are you okay; what is happening to you?!"

Even Shark's sharpened expression faltered to make way for concern to reflect in his irises.

 _Huh? What's wrong with her now?_

"Hey! What're you tryin' to pull now?! Come on, don't screw with me and fight!"

Those words made Athena stop breathing for a split, stretched second, as she stares ahead towards the source...but doesn't see them.

 _(Flash)_

 _A young girl clad in thin layers of black is on her knees in what appears to be a fighting ring, as dozens of faceless voices jeer and call from the outside in their own excitement for the event taking place..._

 _She's then hoisted up by her neck by a burly male a few years older than herself, his facial features reflecting signs of a...possible high._

 _"(Jittery laugh) Come on, come on! You can't be done yet; we've only begun. Stop screwin' around, rookie, and fight me!"_

 _The girl winces from the harsh and crazed address...but darts her head up with a red irises locked in a seething glare that wasn't rational, and lets out a roar before she thwacks her legs forward into the young man's torso, knocking herself out of their grip!_

 _She then lunges forward upon landing on the ringer's ground again, fist raised and crying out like a rabid animal._

 _(Flash)_

That same roar would sound in a weaker echo from Athena's mouth, as she swung a blind fist forward in Shark's direction, much to his confusion.

 _What the hell...!_

That outcry died quicker than it came...as the girl stumbles her footing and falls forward with a whimper like a wounded dog, crashing onto the concrete face-down unconscious...

"Athena!"

Tiffany's scream ran through the air with Astral's, as she lead the charge with Jamal and Caswell rushing close behind, quickly reaching the fallen girl's side to turn her over to see her paling face that drew very weak, quickened breaths between her parted lips, they grazed slightly from the rough blacktop.

"Athena! Athena, wake up! Please wake up!"

"Damn, her spike's come back...! Cas, call an ambulance!"

"I'm on it!"

As Tiffany and Jamal shift to hold the unconscious girl in their arms, the AR World dissipates away after Shark cancels it out before running over to see what was going on.

"What happened?!"

Tiffany looks up to meet his cerluean with teary sky blue:

"Uh! Shark...I-It's her metabolism; it spikes at random and drains her really bad!"

"What...?!"

 _Athena..._

Caswell hangs up his duel gazer with an uncharacteristic angry expression as he groans,

"The ambulance is gonna take too long to get here! Apparently, some crazy arsonist has the paramedics kept busy deep downtown after they set an entire street of buildings on fire, three of which were thankfully abandoned...What are we gonna do?!"

"First of all, calm down and not pull your hair out."

"H-Huh?"

Eyes fall on Shark's form, who was staring aimlessly at Athena's unconscious form...before he reaches down to pick her up into his arms like a bride and turning to rush over to his parked duel runner, which he had used recently in the earlier chase to try and escape from the insistent girl.

"Uh! Shark!"

"Shark, what're you doing?!"

"Shark!"

The other three teens dart after the boy, just as he settles himself into the driverseat while placing the girl into his lap, holding her up with one arm while using his free hand to put his helmet on.

"...I can get her to the hospital faster than some dumb ambulance."

The others widen their eyes with shock at Shark's sudden generosity, including Astral, who was hovering overhead the former but with his eyes locked on Athena's form.

 _He, wants to help?_

"...Shark."

He looks up to meet the eyes of Jamal, who gives him a stern glare as he tells the other,

"You better keep a strong grip on her as you motor along, 'cause if I hear anything related to Addy going tumbling down the road, you'll have more than her angry brothers and grandpa to deal with. Get me?"

The boy with cerulean eyes stares into the sea green irises for a second...before forming a small, well-meaning smirk and replying,

"Got it. Speaking of, one of you should contact her family while I'm running...See you lot down there, I guess."

With that, he roars the engine of his vehicle to life, before speeding off down the road in the direction of the hospital...Along the way, the teen found himself glancing down briefly at the girl under his arm, his mind clouding her image over with another female, whom shared similar features to himself...

Shaking his mind loose, Shark focuses straight ahead, yet couldn't help but think to himself,

 _Kuh, and this girl calls me an idiot?_

 _She's the one who put her life on the line, for someone like me._

"...Athena, you fool."

Time Skip

(Beep...beep...beep...beep...beep...)

We jump ahead to around mid-morning of the next day, our view being the inside of one of the many white-washed rooms of the Heartland City Hospital, where three familiar older males were sitting inside, concerned eyes cast to their youngest family member currently laying unconscious in bed with an IV line attached to her left arm, her colour a bit better than before but not by much...

Just outside the room and sitting on a bench laying against the wall, were the other four teens from yesterday who refused to go home until their friend was awake...

"I see that you're all still here."

Their heads dart up to meet the eyes of a middle-aged fellow with lightly-graying brown hair styled into a rat tail ponytail, kind amber-brown eyes, a soul patch on his chin, and wore the typical white coat of a doctor overtop a grey button-up shirt, dark brown slacks and black shoes. It would be Tiffany who addresses the arriving man, her voice a bit soft and exhausted from lack of sleep.

"Doctor Moreno..."

"Athena's a lucky girl to have plenty of people who will go out their way to be there for her. (Glance) Even when they're a bit reluctant to do so..."

The doctor was of course discreetly addressing Shark, who avoids the former's eyes while asking,

"...When is she gonna wake up?"

"More than likely in the next hour or so. (Mumble) That child hardly stays unconscious for very long, oddly enough...Thankfully, you got her here just in time, otherwise the situation would've been different...and possibly more dire."

...And hovering close to the girl's side, was Astral, whose expression had locked into a deep concern since he was forced to witness multiple physicians using equipment and techniques he was not familiar with to stabilize Athena's condition, which in his eyes looked like they were hurting her...until he heard the words,

 _"She's going to be alright. We got her back just in time."_

 _...Athena...please wake up soon._

...An hour later, Terry would rush out of the room to find Doctor Moreno when he, Adam and their grandfather, Homare start to see signs that Athena was waking up! By the time they returned, the other four who were here to wait for the red irises to open again would have filed in near the girl's bed, as her eyelids very slowly blinked to the conscious world.

"Mm...M-Mm?"

 _Where...?_

"Ah, woken up already, I see."

She weakly turns her head to the left...and widens her eyes when she sees a shadowed figure wearing a lab coat and a sinister smile!

 _NO!_

Athena jerks up to a sitting position before swinging her right fist at the figure...but:

(Grasp)

It's revealed that they were actually the doctor, who easily caught the flying appendage into his own hand with a calm smile, while everyone else gasped in surprise from the hostile reaction of the young teen!

...No one moves or dare makes a sound, highlighting the ragged breathing of Athena, who was looking at Doctor Moreno with a half-crazed expression, until she hears him softly chide,

"Easy now, Athena, it's alright. You're in a safe place; let go of the image you're seeing..."

...The hallucination fades and makes room for the man with amber-brown irises.

"Uh...! D...Doctor Moreno...I, I'm so sorry, I-"

"It's alright. I could tell that you weren't fully in tune with the real world quite yet despite being awake. (Wry smile) And it's thanks to patients like you that I've developed fast reflexes."

That second comment made both the man and young girl chuckle a bit, as the latter relaxes her arm back onto the bed while her other hand reaches to subconsciously grip the golden key pendant, which was thankfully still on her person. Taking a silent breath of relief in, she then takes note of the other faces in the room with a tired smile.

"...Wow. You lot look worse than I probably do, and I'm the one sitting in the hospital bed."

The small group would smile in exasperation from such a comment (minus Shark, whose expression was shadowed by his hair as he kept his eyes to the ground), and Jamal replies,

"Really, Addy? Already onto your crude commentary?"

"(Shrug) You know me; I bounce back quick...That being said, seriously, did any of you get a wink of sleep at all?"

The somewhat sheepish and guilty expressions told her what she needed to know...

"Huh, well ain't that ironic: Most of you berate me to watch my own health but wind up ignoring yours when it becomes jeopardized."

Athena's grandfather shoots her a pointed look:

"Athena..."

"Sorry, Grandpa, but I had to say it...Now look, I get that most of you worry for me thanks to this stupid health condition of mine, (frown) but I don't appreciate it when you all go so far that you either treat me like I'm not my own age, or wind up making yourselves sick with paranoia."

The girl's expression shifts to reflect sadness and light guilt:

"That's when I'll truly feel pain in my being, the kind that, can't be healed by any medicine."

Everyone's expressions soften considerably when they hear the vulnerable message, and Tiffany would move from her place between Jamal and Caswell to sit on Athena's right side to hug the other tightly.

"Oh Addy..."

"Tiff..."

After a little while of more hugs and light chatter, the patient in this hospital locks her red irises on Shark, whom had settled to silently sitting on a chair by the large window of this room...

"Addy?"

"Hm?"

She stops staring at the boy and turns her eyes to her brother Adam, who smiles gently at her and says,

"Terry, Grandpa and I are gonna head back home now, and drop off Tiffany, Jamal and Caswell to their houses."

"(Nod) Okay..."

"Will you be alright here by yourself?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine...Besides..."

Athena glances up at Astral, then over at Shark, before adding,

"I have a feeling I won't be alone in here for a while..."

Adam assumes she was just speaking about the boy with cerulean irises (not aware of Astral's presence in this world), and nods with a smile of understanding.

"Alright...See you later this evening."

"See you, Adam."

More goodbyes would sound from her grandfather and friends, but Terry would just wave, making Athena sigh with a minor headshake at his stubbornness to speak one word to her since she woke up.

 _Of course he's gonna play the mute with me..._

Sensing the dulled annoyance, Doctor Moreno pats the girl's shoulder with a sympathetic smile.

"Remember to not get angry with your brother, Athena. He's just worried about you."

"I know, I know, but that doesn't give him the excuse to act like a baby...But nevermind him."

She looks up and asks,

"How long am I gonna be held up here this time?"

"Heh, as I've said to you before, hospitals are not prisons...but you will need to stay here at least another two or three days, just to make sure that your vitals are strong."

"Gotcha."

"Good...I need to go check on some other patients, so I'll leave you to it."

With that, the doctor leaves the room...There's a pregnant pause in the air, until it was broken by noneother than the boy who got Athena here.

"...So why'd you keep quiet about not feeling well during our duel?"

She looks over at him with mild surprise at finally hearing his voice, before countering,

"I would think a smart guy like you would know the answer to that question already."

"...In that case, you're a crazy idiot."

Athena smirks and shrugs,

"Not the first time I've had either of those terms describe me...So, how come you stuck around? I would've thought that after dropping me off to the nurses, you'd hightail it outta here."

A small chuckle escapes Shark's mouth as he looks up with fatigue lightly tracing his facial features similar to how the others waiting for the girl's condition to change these last several hours.

"I was tempted, I'll admit that...but the way your friend, Jamal, shot me that look before I started the engine to my ride, it stuck with me. Forced me to stay."

"Jamal, huh? Didn't see that coming..."

"...And I guess I also wanted to tell you, the real reason I agreed to duel you."

Shark gets up from his seat by the window, and slowly walks over to the hospital bed while saying with a bitter smile,

"It's because I was crushed when you beat me that first time. You...were right. I blamed you for losin' my dueling edge."

"...I can tell that was hard for you to admit...But thank you for being a man and confessing."

He looks up at Athena with surprise for her softer address...just as she starts removing her key pendant from around her neck to present to him, straight expression on her face.

"Now...I think I owe you this from our duel yesterday."

"Uh...Why-"

"Technically, I lost after passing out halfway through, and...you were well on your way to winning against me, so, go ahead. Take this."

Both Shark and Astral stared at the girl in awe for her humility, she forming a small, sad smile on her face.

 _May not have gone any way we wanted it...but the ending's still for some sort of best._

"...You keep it."

"Huh?"

Now it was Athena's turn to look at Shark with surprise, who forms a soft smirk before he gently takes the pendant from her hands to put around her neck again.

"You may see it as a loss in your books, but for me, yesterday didn't really count as a duel since my opponent went and blacked out on me."

"Uh...Shark..."

"So you hold onto this, as a reminder to watch yourself before starting somethin' you can't finish."

The girl smirks wryly from the light joke laced in the boy's words:

"Heh, right...and, thanks for not being a jerk about this."

"Whatever."

"...So...are you going back to hangin' with those losers, Scorch and Chills, or did something out of yesterday smarten you up?"

The air tenses slightly in the new pause that passes...before Shark sighs and answers,

"I, actually sent a private message to Scorch in the early hours. Told him he and Chills can suck it."

"Nice."

"Mm...Though since I revealed that, maybe you can enlighten me on a thing or two."

Cerulean eyes look up to meet red with a more serious light as the former then asks,

"What exactly happened to you? Your friends told me about your problem regarding your, metabolism, but I didn't quite get what they were talkin' about."

"Heh, oh that? Well, unfortunately it spikes up on me at random times, causing my body to burn off more energy than it needs to which, weakens me considerably if I'm not careful enough. It's timing has become so random, I can't really predict when it comes too well anymore..."

"I'm guessing yesterday wasn't the first time you passed out, then?"

Athena shakes her head:

"Nope. In the short two years I had this problem, I've blacked out more times than I'd like to mention."

"Two years?"

"Like I said the other day, coupled with my immunity to pain, this condition isn't something I was born with..."

She clenches her fist and bitterly remarks,

"Some asshole and his cohorts...they made me this way, with a substance they injected into me after kidnapping me off the streets."

Shark's eyes widen with shock:

"What?!"

"Yeah...The trauma's blocked off a good amount of those few days I was missing from the city, but according to Doc Moreno, who did my examination after I was brought back by Tiffany and her dad who found me on that old logging road, the substance was some kind of experimental drug that was banned by the medical community a few decades back. Too many subjects...they died from it."

Athena looks up ahead of herself, clenching her pendant securely as she adds in a duller tone,

"But here I am, a first victim of the drug in years, who survived..."

"Yet the consequences were quite dire for your mental health."

She glances over at Astral and nods a bit in confirmation, before Shark then says,

"Okay...that's definitely an arm and leg to take in...But that punch you threw before passing out: You looked like you were ready to beat me black and blue...yet it wasn't me you saw, was it?"

Athena stiffens a bit from the question, and the boy nods with a hm:

"Thought so...Where was your head at, Athena? The same place it was when you threw that fist at the Doctor?"

"...No...Yesterday's punch was from another time, during my numbing phase after I was brought home."

Breathing out a deep sigh, the girl then mutters while holding her face,

"And I'm guessin' you're gonna keep pestering me about it until I talk, huh?"

"Maybe, maybe not...but it might clear some of the air over why you of all people are familiar with areas like where Scorch and Chills hang..."

"Heh, caught on that, did you? Smart...Well, I was kind-of saving this chat for another's ear, but since both of you are here...sure, why the hell not?"

"Huh? Both?"

Athena smiles wryly and quirks to the confused teen,

"Long story...Anyway, I hope your butt's ready to go numb from sitting, Shark, (glances up) and that you're ready to go stiff floating up, Astral, 'cause this tale's gonna take a while to tell."


	11. Relay-Racing to Better Views, Part One

_(Shhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa...)_

 _Water droplets fall heavy on the cold, hard concrete that was worn and heavy with the weight of the people who comb these teetering streets, individuals that lived life on the wilder and/or harsher side..._

 _Sitting on the edge of one sidewalk outside a gutted bank building, was Athena, close to two years younger and with less fire in her eyes than what flickers in the present-day, hidden away by the curtain of her soaked, long black hair tipped copper-red. Her outfit consisted of a pair of worn grey sweatpants, a white tank-top, and dark red sneakers that highlighted her white ankle socks._

 _The girl could care less if she would end up catching a cold from the shower of rain...or perhaps she was barely able to acknowledge the weather, other than it being as depressing as she felt..._

 _"...Well ain't this a sorry sight, seeing a pretty chick look like crap."_

 _Athena tilts her head up slightly to see past her black tresses to the source of the new male voice:_

 _A teen at least a foot taller and two years older than herself, thin but with reasonable muscle-build, his skin kissed moderately by the sun, highlighting his short, spiky green hair with black tips, orange-brown eyes, and wearing an outfit of a green t-shirt with ripped sleeves that read 'Society can suck it' in the middle with blood-red ink, a white-gray raincoat, black pants with chains hanging off the right pocket, brown boots with red laces, and indigo fingerless gloves._

 _"...Who're you?"_

 _"Name's Trilos, Janko Trilos. Heh, and if you haven't hear my name before, you're definitely from the nicer parts of this godforsaken city..."_

 _Athena stares at the older boy for a few seconds with a blank expression, before turning her dulled eyes in front of her again._

 _"...What do you want?"_

 _Trilos kneels down to the girl's level with a somewhat sympathetic expression and replies,_

 _"Well first of all, I'm a bit interested to know why a cute face like you looks ready to hang herself."_

 _"...I don't have to explain myself to a stranger...(mumble) especially since even I dunno why I'm feeling so empty."_

 _The spiky-styled boy doesn't miss the other half of the girl's dead-hostile response, and smirks to himself before covering the expression with a small smile._

 _"Hey now, no need to get defensive. Just a simple question...but what if I were to tell you there's a way to fill that black hole?"_

 _That caught the red-eyed preteen's interest:_

 _"...There is?"_

 _"Hell yeah...though I'll warn you in advance, it ain't for the weaker hearts. Not that that's gonna be an issue for you."_

 _Trilos stands straight again while pulling Athena up with him, caressing the left side of her face with a thumb brushing under the darkened bag under her eye._

 _"I can see it in your eyes: There's a beast, a fire biding its time inside you, waiting to be unleashed...and I've got just the thing to do that. What do you say?...You in?"_

 _There's a pause, the silence highlighting the downpour pounding on the pavement...before Athena nods with a firm frown._

 _"Show me."_

 _The boy grins and moves to wrap a guiding arm around the younger girl's shoulders, leading her down the sidewalk to elsewhere._

 _"I've got a good feeling you're gonna turn into the feature item we need down at the Fallen Stars..."_

 _(Flash)_

"That's how I was first lured in by that crazy bastard Trilos, all because I felt I had nothin' else to lose, so, why the hell not..."

"And you wound up discovering you followed a gang leader to an underground fighting club, yet, you still stuck around...Damn, I dunno whether to call you dumb or insane."

"Heh, I think a fair mix of both would be the appropriate description."

It's been at least two days since the duel between Athena and Shark down at the unfinished road complex, which would be aborted halfway through when the former was struck with a high spike in her metabolic breakdown of energy and passed out cold...

Now, both duelists and a certain celestial being were sitting/floating in her hospital room during a new morning, just talking about whatever came to mind. The most popular topic of conversation was the piece of personal history the girl revealed to the two boys in the room prior to now, that being what she ended up doing to cope with the numbing pain in her heart and mind after her kidnapping two years ago.

"How long was it again you kept coming and goin' from that place?"

"Roughly five months, and yes, I too find it amazing I'm not in juvenile hall...When I wasn't waving my fists in the ring, I also joined a few of the runs with some other faces to spray-tag and vandalize. Nothing too hectic, (wry smirk) but we did piss off a couple rival gangs of 'barely adults', enough so that they'd try to hunt us down. Never once got caught, though we did have a few close calls with a truancy officer..."

Astral, who was hovering on the left side of Athena's bed while Shark sat on the mattress's right, has his eyes just as wide with surprise as he has had them since the girl began her reveal two days ago, finding it hard to believe that she had such capabilities.

Meanwhile, the boy with violet-blue hair's expression was set in a neutral frown, most of his excitement used during the bigger reveal of the girl's dark past, as well as when she decided to tell him about the blue-skinned being who's been around her since their first duel...

"...So what made you quit that part of your life?"

Athena's expression darkened slightly, but didn't drop to downright hostile, as she looks down at the sheets of the bed before answering dryly,

"...I guess you could say, I gave myself a nasty gut-check to reality."

"Huh?"

"After my final fight, which ended in a loss on my end...it felt like I was trapped between the real world and a nightmare. I could barely acknowledge my own being as I staggered my battered-up body out of that building and made my trek back to the concrete jungle...At some point, I ended up in Mirror Alley, a place in the rougher part of the city that's got an urban legend attached to it. Said that looking in even just one mirror, reveals your innermost parts of the self, which usually ends with the person screaming in terror over what they see."

Astral asks,

"You mean these mirrors have the power to reflect the inner mind?"

"Heh, that's what the folks livin' near that area think, but it's more than likely a silly story drummed up by someone's last drug high...Still, it's amazing what the imagination can come up with...when you're drowning in your own spirit."

The girl's red eyes shone with an old fear as a shiver slithered down her spine in accordance the memories resurfacing.

"That day...I remember the rain shower being colder than usual. I was shaking from a freeze that came from nature surrounding...but at the same time, was coming from inside my head, like something was banging against the bone to break out. Each rumble of the thunder, every twitch of my limbs...was followed by an echo of voices, voices that sounded, pained."

Shark asks with a raised brow,

"Voices?"

"(Shakes head) I know what you're thinking: I was disoriented and on the borderline of crazy, so I could've just created those sounds inside me...But, those screams...they sounded too real, yet so far away...I also, faintly recall an image that flashed before my eyes: A swirl of colours, blues and sparkles of pink against the endless black, with stars glittering all around..."

Astral immediately stiffens to attention:

 _Uh! That sounds like...a simpler description of my homeworld...!_

"But something was attacking it, these red shots of light, blasting against the blue...The same red, that made up a reflection in one of the mirrors that nearly gave me a heart attack. (Gulp) A...A monster of some kind..."

"A monster?"

"Mhm...I don't know where it could've possibly have come from, or why it was there, but, seeing that thing...It made me feel something I hadn't felt for those five months: Pure, unadulterated fear, so much so that when the monster lunged, I screamed and destroyed the mirror by punching it."

The boy with cerulean eyes sucks some air between his teeth:

"Ouch. That must've left a scar."

"It did."

Athena holds out her left hand palm-down, and squeezes her knuckles to whiten her skin, revealing a few very faint marks on her fingers.

"It'll be at least a few more months before these marks vanish completely, longer if I forgo the Bio-Oil."

"Hm...And, what happened after that?"

"Hah, well, once my chest stopped thumping like a hummingbird's...I felt this new wave of clarity very slowly wash over me, and...for the first time in what felt like forever, I could finally see myself with a straight head, what I had become. Then my conscious decided to jostle me up some more, and, (laugh) this is where you'll really question my sanity, but I wound up arguing with myself, rather, who I was before I joined the Fallen Stars, my Past Me."

Shark holds back a snicker and quirks,

"Your 'Past You'?"

"Mhm, and lemme tell you, I was quite the little spitfire: Didn't skip a beat in insulting my current persona, my, 'Berserker' ID...Long story short, my blinders had been removed, stomped to pieces, allowing me to see the world again, see, me again..."

Athena's smirk shifts into a grim smile as she finishes,

"Like all highs, mine had an expiration date. Once I made the drop...the next step was cleaning myself up, physically and mentally. I went home, got rid of basically everything that I had gained as 'Beserker', and reclaimed my identity as Athena Fujina. I may have received alot of mental and physical scars...but I take them in as a reminder to never, _ever_ fall that far again."

The other two bodies in the room could only stare in awe at the girl between them, whose tone sounded like a beaten old woman's...

Unbeknownst to the trio, three others had arrived outside the partly-opened door to Athena's room to visit her just as she got to the part of her story involving the Mirror Alley, and became shocked silly from the depressing details...

Tiffany, whom today was wearing a frilly green babydoll top with a pair of blue shorts trimmed with white lace at the cuffs and white flats, turns to the other two boys with her and mutters softly,

"Wow...It's been so long since I heard Addy speak so, openly about that time..."

Caswell, who was wearing his full school uniform, nods with while swallowing a lump in his throat.

"I, I never even heard of these details before...never, bothered to ask...In the end, it's quite clear that part of her life still bothers her greatly."

Jamal, dressed in an orange t-shirt with ripped sleeves, black suspenders attached to a pair baggy grey jeans, black high-top sneakers and a dark blue ski cap over his head of long dreadlocks, nods absentmindedly, but his expression was set in an odd glare directed inside to the two people he could see inside the hospital room.

"...Jamal?"

"Hm?"

He turns his eyes to the girl with cornflower blue irises, who was looking at him with a mix of suspicion and concern.

"Is, something wrong?"

"Guh, um, no! Nothin's wrong. I just remembered something I was suppose to get for my mom, so, I gotta get goin' before I forget again. Later!"

With that, the boy spins on his foot and starts fast-walking down the opposite direction of the hall, despite his confused friends calling after him.

"Huh? Hey, Jamal!"

"Jamal?"

The sound of their exclaims snuck in through the crack in the doorway to arouse attention from the occupants.

"Huh?" "Hm?"

"Did you two hear something?"

There then came a soft knock on the hardwood before the door slid all the way open to reveal Tiffany and Caswell's faces, which were now occupying bright smiles.

"Hey Addy! Oh, and Shark, here again, I see? Nice to see you too."

"Hello, Athena, Shark."

The girl resting in bed would respond first:

"Tiff, Cas, hey!...Um, Jamal's not with you?"

Meanwhile, Shark rose from his seat on the side of the bed and readies to exit the room.

"Guess this is my cue to head out before it gets too crowded."

"Oh, Shark, you don't have to leave just 'cause we're here..."

He flashes a small smirk at the girl with black, bobbed hair:

"Nah, it's fine. There's...someone I gotta see elsewhere in this place, anyway. (Glances back) See you 'round, Addy, (looks up) Astral."

The boy then makes his way out, leaving behind the other four souls in the room, the two new arrivals sporting newly widened eyes.

"Did, he just say-" Athena replies with a half-smile,

"Yeah, he did, Cas. He knows about Astral now; told him about the stuff he didn't witness during our first duel and what's been happening since."

"...And, how did he take it?"

"Skeptical at first, but after showing him the Numbers, including Leviathan Dragon, his memory jolted a bit from his experience of their power, and became that much more persuaded to hear more details."

By this time, Caswell and Tiffany had settled onto either side of the white-sheet bed while Astral moved to hover cross-legged over the foot of the bed near Athena's own legs. The girl with bobbed hair then asks while placing a hand on the other girl's arm,

"How are you feeling today?"

"Glad that I get to leave this white-washed joint tomorrow. This room's making me stir-crazy, and the nurses aren't helping my mood by acting like I'm a baby bird that fell out of the nest...In fact, if it haven't been for everybody visiting and Astral being here with me, (smirk) pretty sure I would've beaten the crap out of one of those Bettys by now."

The two teens laugh nervously from such a reply while Astral shoots the girl a scolding expression...

Meanwhile, in the Run-Down Arcade...  


"Urrrgh, I can't believe that fish Shark just blew us off like he did! Not that I'm sorry he's gone; he acted like he was so much better than me and the rest of the boys...but still! What kind-a big man does he think he is ditchin' just like that?!"

That lanky redheaded member of Scorch and Chill's gang was complaining up a storm to his co-bosses in one of the upper rooms about the blunt leave of the younger teen a few days ago.

However, neither Scorch nor Chills seemed overly concerned or annoyed by Shark's quit.

"Just forget about 'im, Weasel. We've got ourselves another contact who's worth more trouble than you or that half-wit fish are ever gonna be."

"Huh?"

"Shark may have had the wins our gang needed to take down whoever...but there's another guy out there who really knows how to strike fear into his sources to blubber what he needs to know to move forward... _and leave this city shaking._ "

A low chuckle resonates from behind the door to the room, before the source opens it to reveal a familiar tanned face with spiky green hair tipped black and orange-brown eyes, his mouth curved into a wild but serious grin.

"Well aren't we actin' the kiss-up, Scorch? Almost reminds me of your baby cousin, BB; always said the sweet words..."

Weasel flinches from the new face and exclaims,

"W-When'd you get up here; who the hell are you?!"

"...Who am I?"

(Slam)

"Guh!"

The new arrival props the redheaded male against the wall a few inches from the big tv screen by their throat, squeezing tight with a sadistic smile before whispering in a scary voice,

" _I'm every punk's worst nightmare...I, am Trilos._ "

Time Skip, Athena's POV  


"Ugh, thank god, I'm free!"

"You make it sound like you were released from jail."

"Yeah well, those damn nurses could easily be mistaken for prison wardens. I distinctly remember a few of those older crones giving me the evil eye like I descended from Hell."

It's now inching close to high noon, and I was finally able to check out of my hospital room. Adam came by earlier this morning to drop off a fresh set of clothes for me (my red top that had one left sleeve, my acid-washed grey jeans with the pocket chain on the right pocket, and my dark red sneakers), then it was all in acting like a little princess so that the Doctor Moreno wasn't fed a cock-and-bull from the bitchy nurses that I should stay longer...Oddly enough, Shark came by half an hour before now to visit me, and seemed visibly glad that I was gonna be released today.

We're now walking along one of the paths leading into the park, mostly content with eachother's company...that is, until I remembered something I meant to ask the boy on my left.

"So, you mind explaining something to me?"

"Shoot."

"How does a duelist of your caliber wind up heading for the National's top, but suddenly drops like a rock and becomes a minor delinquent at the Academy?"

...The air became quiet and tense, not quite the atmosphere of a funeral, but pretty damn close, as Shark's face contorted into a frown mixing of dull anger and slight regret.

"...Shark?"

"You haven't read the story on me, have you?"

I was a bit taken aback by the somewhat dead tone, but shook my head with a frown of distaste.

"I don't like reading entertainment tabloids. They're becoming as gossipy as a tween girl magazine, not counting those few articles recommended to me by Yoko."

He looks at me with a raised brow, and I add casually,

"Uh, she's my brother Terry's on-and-off girlfriend. Don't ask...Anyway, why should I bother reading a bias news source when I can hear the real story from the subject himself?"

It was Shark's turn to become surprised, and he pauses his steps while forming a conflicted expression, making me stop to watch him carefully.

 _Must've been pretty bad if he's lookin' that reluctant to speak..._

 _Though I would've thought after my big reveal of my own fall from grace, he'd be a bit empowered to share some of his life with me._

 _...Guess that trick doesn't always work._

"...Addy."

"Hm?"

I snap out of my thoughts when I heard another male's voice calling to me from behind, and I turn around to see noneother than Jamal on his scooter, wearing a green tank-top with ripping at the bottom, his baggy grey jeans, white sneakers and his blue 'brain bucket' that covered most of his dreadlocks save the strands that peaked from under.

 _Huh, been a few days since I saw him..._

"Jamal, hey...Where have you been this last bit?"

"Busy."

 _...That was a rather tactful reply._

I then notice that his eyes weren't so much on me, but were sending a glare towards, Shark?  
He too was a bit taken aback, and eyes the other strangely, leaving me stuck in the middle of these two boys.

 _...Okay, what's goin' on here?_

"Uh, guys...?"

"I see you're already preoccupied with _him_ , so I'll leave you guys to it. Later."

"Uh! Jamal, wait!"

But he just whirls his wheels around and starts speeding off to god-who-knows...I lower my hand and placed both on my hips while looking down at the ground in slowly-growing frustrated thought.

"What the hell just happened here...?"

"Everything okay between you and your friend?"

I turn my head to Shark as he approaches and I reply with a shrug,

"No idea. I mean, we've gotten ticked with eachother before, but he hasn't acted this cold...Unless...Oh, god..."

"What?"

I slap my forehead with my palm as I realize,

"I think I know what might be up with him: He's jealous, the petty idiot!"

Shark was a bit confused at first...until the answer hits him too, making him laugh rather loudly.

"Oh geez, does he think-Wow!"

"I know, right? I mean, what the hell's wrong with us becoming friends? It's not like I'm pushing him out or anything!"

"Heh, I think it might be more than that."

That made me stop laughing in an instant:

"Huh?"

Once he cooled down, Shark straightens back up with an amused smirk and says,

"It's possible I'm wrong, but...I think Jamal may care about you in ways past simple friendship. You get me?"

"Uh...Wait...Oh hell no, you're not suggesting-"

I cut myself off as I hold my head from an oncoming headache in wake of this new stupidity.

"Aw hell no! Please, no way; not this dumbassery again!"

"Again?"

"...Okay, don't tell him I told you, otherwise he's gonna pulverize me, but back in elementary school...Jamal used to have a big crush on me."

"You're kidding..."

We were walking forward elsewhere again, and I shake my head with an embarrassed smile.

"No lie. Even gave me this big valentine heart in the fourth grade...Eventually, his eyes turned to other girls and I became the fading eye candy."

 _Or so I thought...Is his crush starting to come back now that we're teens?_

 _...Frig, I hope not._

"I'm, guessin' you've got no interest in stuff like that?"

Shark's question sounded so awkward I was close to bursting into laughter, but I just shook my head with an amused smirk and replied,

"Nah. Romance is the last thing on my mind, and I haven't felt those dumb butterflies in my stomach from looking at any dudes..."

 _But let's see how long I can keep that crap up before I become as ditsy as other girls..._

I decided since he seemed reluctant to talk about what happened at the Duel Nationals last year, I'd use this odd topic to turn the atmosphere between us back to a less intensified affair.

"...What about you, Shark? You got any girls on your mind surrounded by a pink heart?"

His reply came quick enough:

"Ha, as if! Do I look like a romantic?"

"No, but I hear the ladies go crazy for bad boys."

"You sayin' I'm bad?"

"Of course not...(Cheeky grin) I'm saying you suck at talking to girls."

"W-What?!"

His stuttered response sent me into a flurry of laughter, and before I knew it, I was running like a madwoman away from Shark as he chased me down with annoyed anger in his eyes.

"Come back here and say that again! I dare you!"

"Try and make me, barracuda boy!"

Unfortunately, due to it being my cautionary week of instability for my metabolism, I had to force myself to stop sprinting after about twenty minutes so I wouldn't risk getting severely winded, giving that boy the chance to catch me in front of the smoothie stand Tiffany and I frequent to. Once we both calmed down (and I begrudgingly agreed to taking back my playful insult, making him smile smugly), we got ourselves some drinks to cool off the heat produced from the run, and kept wandering around the area, trading words and sharing a laugh...

Small Time Skip, Run-Down Arcade, No POV  


"So, are we just talkin' about doin' this, or are we, 'talkin' about doin' this'?"

"Oh, we're talkin' about _doin'_ this..."

What Weasel and Chills were discussing, was the new report that was flicked onto the television regarding a new feature at the Heartland City Museum.

 _"The exhibition piece is a rare and powerful duel deck, which was donated to the museum by an anonymous benefactor. A panel of leading experts have yet to confirm who this deck originally belonged to..."_

Trilos, whom had returned to the gang hideout again to meet with Scorch and Chills, gestures a thumb to the tv with a smirk and quirks,

"What'd I tell ya? Sweet idea for a score, huh?"

"Ha! Sweet doesn't even begin to describe: After tonight, that deck is gonna belong to us!"

"Just remember our deal: I give you the best routes to take in this heist, and as soon as you get your paws on the deck, you and your boys get outta my city."

Scorch nods in confirmation to Trilos, but couldn't help but comment with a wry smirk,

"Keh, normally, I don't let someone younger than me tell me where my boys and I go, but after hearing your rep and seeing some of what you got...I can see why you don't wanna let up your control."

Meanwhile, Weasel was feeling less than excited about this whole plan:

"This seems really dangerous...What about museum security? What if we get busted? If we get caught, my parents will send me to boarding school and-"

"Aw shuddup, ya little wuss. Your pussyfooting is really pissing me off."

Chills agreed with Trilos, and steps forward with a menacing frown to the redheaded male and retorts,

"He's right, you little worm: If you wanna run with the pack, then start actin' like a wolf!"

"I, I know! I'm just sayin'...!"

Scorch cuts in with a calmer tone:

"We're gonna be fine. Don't forget, Weasel, we got _these..._ "

He holds up a duel monster card that was Rank Five with 2500 Attack Points...and held the numeral symbol 61 that would show up as a branded tattoo on the owner's right shoulder!

"There are our tickets in: As long as we have these bad boys, we can do whatever we want, and no one can stop us!"

In Chill's case, the card in his hand would also be Rank Five but with 2000 Attack points, holding numeral 19 that would be glowing plastered onto the skin of his left arm...

Weasel darted his eyes back and forth between his leaders, while Trilos shook his head with a frown of distaste on his lips.

 _Whoop-dee-doo, so they got powerful XYZ Monsters..._

 _Tch, yet another reason to add to my list of reasons why I think Duel Monsters is becoming stupid._

"Sounds like you crazy bastards are gun-ho ready, so here, catch."

The boy with spiky green hair tosses a small USB Drive coloured black with a white skull and crossbones to Scorch, who catches it without any effort while the former makes his way out to other places.

"I got places to go and heads to bust, so good-freakin'-luck to you three."

(Ka-chank...)

The man with short, dreadlocked hair narrows his eyes slightly at the doorway Trilos exited through and thinks to himself,

 _Tuh, that kid needs to get his head checked..._

Shaking off his frown, he smiles in anticipation and says to the other two in the room,

"Then it's settled: We'll meet by Pier Fourteen at Midnight tonight."

"Uh, yeah, but-"

Chills cuts into Weasel's stuttering and jeers mockingly,

"What'sa matter, little Weasel? Ya chicken?"

"No! I was, just, pointin' out the reality. Yeah, that's it!"

Scorch barks out a laugh and moves to stand up from his seat on an old sofa, before stepping over to loom over the redheaded male.

"Is that so?"

"Hnn...!"

"Well here's a reality for you to remember, punk..."

(Slam)

"Hgh!"

A fist connects with the wall just inches from Weasel's head, the owner adding in a hiss,

"Don't get in the way and play your part, _or you'll have me to deal with._ "

Small Time Skip

It's now heading into late evening, and we catch up with Athena and Shark, who were now combing around the streets near the museum building before it got too dark...

"(Low whistle) So long story short, you got screwed over by that duelist in the tournament when he 'accidentally' left his duel deck behind and wide open to being seen..."

The boy eyes the girl with an odd expression and asks,

"...Are you saying you think I was set up?"

"Well no duh! I mean, come on, just ditching your cards on a table and leaving them for the world to see? That sounds too suspiciously careless...That opponent of yours, whoever they were, they wanted you to lose in any way possible."

Shark's eyes widen slightly...before he looks away towards some streetlamps and mutters quietly,

"...So you don't think I'm a cheater."

"I think what happened was a simple case of well-timed moment of weakness. You were starting to feel the overwhelming pressures, that guy knew it, and set the stage up so you'd crash under the weight...But you shouldn't let it continue to drag you down."

The two teens stop halfway down the sidewalk bordering the fence going around the Heartland City Museum just as the sun's rays finally make way for the night sky.

"We all make the mistake in giving into weakness at some point in our lives, Shark. The trick is to find a way to move on with your head held high, make it a life lesson, you know? (Sad smile) I should know, for I've given into a weakness that nearly destroyed me, as you well know about."

"Uh...Addy..."

Suddenly, just before the boy could come up with a viable response:

(Vrrrrrooooooommmm...)

"Huh?" "Hm?"

(Shrrrrrrooooom)

Two duel runners came zipping right over the fencing on the left far side, landing with a screeching stop on the mosaic patterned courtyard!

"What the hell...?"

"Damn, I can't believe Weasel ran like a little coward!"

The younger teens tense up upon recognizing the cursing voice:

"Was that...?"

"Yeah, that was Chills...Which means the other guy there's gotta be Scorch."

They step closer to the fencing with narrowed eyes of suspicion and whisper to one another,

"But what are they doing here?"

"Probably gonna rob the place of something...Uh! And I think I know what: I remember seeing a news report last night about an ultra-rare deck that was donated to the museum."

That's when their ears pick up on the following response from Scorch to his partner in crime.

"Calm down, Chills. Thanks to that Trilos kid's blueprints, a scapegoat won't be necessary. We'll be in and out before those bozo guards even hear our footsteps."

Athena felt her blood freeze up from hearing the one name she never guessed to hear of again.

 _Did, he just say...Trilos?_

 _...Damn it all, he's surfacing in the city again?!_

 _...But wait._

"Since when does that bastard hand out favours for free?"

"Who?"

The girl jolts slightly when she realizes she said that part aloud, and turns to Shark while hissing between gritted teeth,

"Trilos. I heard Scorch say Trilos...and if I know that psycho like the back of my hand, he wouldn't offer these two losers help so lightly."

"So you think they've been played?"

"Most likely..."

Scorch's voice travels to their waiting ears again when he says with a confident laugh,

"Keh, plus why the hell should we be scared? We've got _these_ on hand after all."

He then holds up the Number Card he possesses, prompting Chills to do the same as his lips curve into a dark smile.

"That's true. We're invincible as long as we carry _these_."

Numerals 61 and 19 glow on sight in their respected places, which do not go unnoticed by Athena or Shark.

"Uh! Did you see that?!"

"They both have a Number Card!"

Apparently, Astral had sensed the presence of the said XYZ Monsters, and immediately materialized out of the golden key pendant on alert.

"Somehow, this does not surprise me, considering how aggressively they behaved during our first encounter..."

Athena hms...before muttering,

"Okay, normally, I'd say leave these guys for the police to handle, but since there are Numbers involved..."

She huffs out a breath of air before rubbing her hands together, then leaping up to climb the fence, much to Shark's shock.

"Guh! Addy, what're you-"

"Bail out if you want to, Shark, but I can't lose this opportunity to snag more Numbers for Astral..."

Once she was on the other side, the girl silently sprints forward until she was standing a couple feet away from the two men, much to their surprise.

"Huh?"

"Who're you?"

The motion sensors turn on the ground lights, highlighting Athena's form.

"The force of nature that's gonna kick your asses, that's what."

Scorch and Chills grin in amusement from the girl's declaration, their bodies billowing that dark aura signalling possession of the numeric kind.

"Really?"

"This isn't a sandbox you wanna be playing in."

"Tuh, does it look like I'm scared of you two? If you losers wanna keep moving, you'll have to duel me first!"

"Is that so?"

"What's the wager?"

Athena reaches into her deck holder and pulls out one card to display, they being Utopia!

"If by some dumb miracle you do defeat me...then my Number Card goes to you!"

Shark had just hopped over the fence into the courtyard when he picks up on that bit of the banter.

 _She's out of her mind!_

"Her card's just like ours, Scorch." He in turn glances at his own:

"I get it: So this is called a Number Card. Imagine how strong we would be if we had another one..."

He then focuses back on Athena:

"Are you sure that you wanna do this, pipsqueak?" She smirks and replies,

"Quite sure. Why? You afraid of taking on a girl?"

"Ha! Hardly."

"How 'bout taking on a girl and her ally?"

"Huh?"

Eyes turn to Shark, who casually walks over to stand next to Athena, much to her surprise.

"Uh, Shark!...You stuck around..."

"Please, as if I'm gonna let you take on these two alone like a crazy person...Besides..."

He shoots her a small smirk bordering a smile and adds,

"I, kind-a owe you for steering me away from these guys."

...Athena stares at him for a moment, before breaking a smirking grin of her own.

"Keh, screw that owing crap: I helped you 'cause you're my friend, and that's really why you're helping me, right?"

"You believe what you want, and I'll believe what I want. Now, we gonna focus on the real problem or what?"

"Right."

The two teens turn to face the two men with serious glares, which only served to amuse the latter pair.

"Haha, what's with those looks?"

"You two seriously think you can take us on?"

"Oh we don't think: We _know_ we can take you on. And not only that..."

The girl with red irises throws up her duel disk at the ready:

"We're also gonna wipe the pavement with ya! Duel Disk: Go! Duel Gazer: Set! Duel Interface: Show me the impossible!"

 **Augmented Reality Vision Link Established.**

"(All duelists) Let's Duel!"

...And just before the battle commences, Athena quickly sends out a message to her other friends to let them know where she was and a short version of what's going on, praying that one friend in particular would arrive soon.

 _You better not be a jerk and come here, Jamal..._

 _I could use your support with everyone else, and it wouldn't kill you to be a friend to Shark._

Just as she finishes that thought, Scorch would make the opening move.

"What do you say we get this duel started? It's my turn; I Draw! I place a monster face-down in Defense Mode! Next, I end my turn by placing two cards face-down."

Astral doesn't miss the exchange of stares between the tanned male and his partner.

"It is apparent from the way they are interacting, that these two are used to dueling as a team."

Athena scoffs,

"Hmph, I say bring it on! My turn to Draw! First I summon Zubaba Knight!"

Said Level Four monster spin-jumps onto the field:

 _"Zubabaaaa Knight!"_

"...But if I remember correctly from what my brothers taught me, in a tag duel, no one's able to attack until all players take their first turns, (glances over at Shark) right?"

"That's right...Dare I ask how long exactly has it been since you even done a tag duel?"

"Uuuh...roughly five years?"

Shark resists the urge to facepalm, as Athena finishes her first turn while shooting a mild glare at her dueling partner.

"Don't judge me, dammit! Anyway, that's all for this turn!"

Scorch mutters to himself with an amused smile,

"What a rookie. This is gonna be a piece of cake."

Chills was feeling just as confident to victory as he makes his first move:

"It's my turn. I Draw! I summon, Pompadour Blizzardon!"

The monster he summons had the appearance of a raptor-like dinosaur with dark onyx skin and a crowned frill running over its head in dulled ice blue matching the large spikes at the bottom base of its back, their Level being Four with 1400 Attack Points.

"Then I place two cards face-down and end my turn! Once this train gets goin', it doesn't stop!"

Scorch adds in a taunt with a wicked gleam in his eyes,

"You're gonna wish you stayed in your beds tonight, kids."

Shark glares at the other silently, before he conducts his own first turn of the tag duel.

"Well you're gonna wish you stayed out of the water, 'cause I'm summoning Big Jaws!"

Said blue-finned cyborg fish splashes onto the field...

"And that lets me also summon Shark Stickers! See, I can bust out this monster whenever I summon a Fish-Type Monster to the field."

Athena smirks slightly, knowing where her dueling partner was going with his moves.

"Two Level Threes already, huh? Sweet; bring out the big guns!"

The cerulean-eyed boy almost smirks back before continuing his play:

"I overlay Big Laws and Shark Stickers! With these two monsters, I can build the Overlay Network and XYZ Summon, the merciful carrier Aero Shark!...And now I activate its special ability: Once a turn by using an Overlay Unit, Aero Shark can dish out 400 points of damage for every card in my hand."

Astral comments,

"An excellent move: He is skirting around the rules by using a special ability to deal damage."

Said boy smirks as he holds up his current hand:

"Since I've got four cards in my hand, I'm serving up 1600 points of damage to Scorch!"

2400 would be where said opponent's Life Points dropped to after being bombarded by Aero Shark's missiles...

"Ha! How'd you like that, Scorch?"

Athena's taunting smile quickly shifts into a frown upon hearing the man reply with a spout of laughter, his face revealed to me smiling sardonically through the dissipating smoke...

"We were hoping you'd do that..."

He glances over at Chills, who mirrored the expression before calling out,

"I activate my Trap, Blizzard Egg Level Five!"

A blustery wind of white rushes onto the field, causing the younger teens and the blue being hovering with them to flinch as Chills explains the nature of this card.

"When a special ability deals damage, Blizzard Egg enables the one who took damage to summon one Level Five Monster from their hand. But if he has no monster to summon, then that duelist gets slammed with 500 points of damage himself."

"So that would mean..." Astral finishes Athena's sentence:

"He is gambling on Scorch having a Level Five Monster in his hand, which is quite a reckless risk for him to take."

Scorch peers over his current hand:

"Let's see...(Grin) I summon Level Five Baggy Pants Lavasaurus!"

This monster had the likeness to a tyrannosaur with rock-like armoured skin and glowing red frills, its Attack Points sitting at a strong 2100.

"And now, to really heat things up, I activate my Trap, Flame Egg Level Five!"

This time, the younger duelists would cringe back from fiery embers that go flying around the field, and Athena curses mentally,

 _Shit, first hail, now fire?!_

"When I take damage from a special ability, Flame Egg grants my teammate the ability to summon one Level Five Monster from his hand! But if he's not holding one to summon, then he takes 500 points of damage."

"Aw crap, don't tell me-!"

Chills calls out in an answer to the girl's exclaim,

"You're about to learn why nobody messes with us!"

2100 Defense Points would be what read on this latest icy menace from the Mesozoic...

"Something is not right here: Both of them have Level Five Monsters waiting in their hands?"

Athena was starting have similar thoughts to Astral:

"Yeah, it's really pure luck to be able to summon strong beasts like that in a single move, one that's not even theirs. (Narrows eyes) Somethin's up..."

Chills retorts back,

"What's up is that we've mastered the art of the extended combo!"

"Did we forget to mention that no one has ever defeated us in a tag duel?"

"Who cares?"

"Hm?"

Scorch's smug smile shifts a frown as he stares down Athena, who glares at him and calls back,

"All streaks come to an end at some point. They don't go on forever, and you and your partner are going to meet yours tonight!"

"We'll see about that, pipsqueak!"

Astral mutters to himself as he notes the stronger air of smugness around Scorch and Chills,

"There is something not quite right about this scenario. Why are these two so confident?"

Shark narrows his eyes and thinks to himself in a suspecting manner,

 _I think I smell a rat..._

"And now, our combo's big finale, Glare Level Five! Thanks to the power of this trap, you take 500 points of damage for every Level Five Monster on our fields! We've got two Level Fives out, so we're talkin' a thousand points of damage, and it's all for you, Shark!"

The eyes of said monsters glow red, before billowing out an antagonizing wave of light towards their victim, who was thrown back harshly as his Life Points drop to 3000!

"Shark!"

Athena rushes over to his side as Scorch scoffs with a dark smile,

"Kuh, that'll teach ya for ditchin' us a few days ago."

With slight waver in his voice as he recovers himself from the attack, Shark finally finishes his move.

"I place two cards face down and end my turn."

...He then pivots his head to meet the concerned red irises looking at him and gently waves her off.

"I'm fine, Addy. (Stands up) Just stay focused on why you're here, or rather, why we're here."

"Uh...(Firm nod) Right. Gotta keep my head up."

 _It won't help anybody if I become rattled..._

 _Besides, I can't afford to allow my body to become too badly stressed the rest of this week. I'm already pushing it with this duel._

 _...Tiffany, Jamal...where are you two?_

Unbeknownst to her, those two teens on her mind had just hopped clumsily over the fence into the museum courtyard as we start the roundabout of turns again with Scorch.

"And now the fun really begins! First I switch my face-down monster to Attack Mode. Here comes Flamesaurus!"

Level Four with 1800 Attack Points, this beast had the likeness of a member of the Ankylosaurs...

Jamal comments from beside Tiffany (who was wearing the same garb we last saw her in) in surprise,

"Whoa, a tag duel!...Didn't expect Addy and Shark to actually work on the same side..."

Scorch makes his main play:

"Flamesaurus's special ability activates, and that means it becomes a Level Five! Now I can overlay Flamesaurus and Baggy Pants Lavasaurus!"

The monsters form into blood-red and salmon-red beams of light before shooting into the galaxy-likened vortex...

"With these two monsters, I build the Overlay Network! I summon Number 61: Volcasaurus!"

This Numeral-based behemoth had skin that seemed to liken to molten lava, its appearance a mix of various carnivorous dinosaurs with boned wings, Rank 5 with 2500 Attack Points!

"Holy hell, that thing is huge!"

Jamal's exclaim wasn't far off of Athena's:

"Jesus, that freak looks like an undiscovered fossil!"

Hearing his voice, the girl turns to meet his eyes with a softer expression:

"...Jamal..."

"...Addy..."

Attention would turn back to the duel as Chills compliments his partner's latest move.

"Nice goin', Scorch."

"I'm not done yet. I'm gonna let them know what happens to little chumps. I activate Volcasaurus's special ability: By using one Overlay Unit, one of your monsters is destroyed, and you take damage equal to its Attack Points! Say bye-bye to Aero Shark, and say hello to a world of hurt!"

One flaming wave of power is all it takes to destroy Shark's monster in a cluster of pixels...

"Don't you know who we are, you little runt? Nobody gets to betray the pack and just walk away!"

Something in the way Scorch threatened the boy, triggered something inside Athena's mind.

"Gh!"

 _(Flash)_

 _(WHACK)_

 _"GUH!"_

 _"Who the hell said you could just ditch the club, you little bitch?! No deserter gets off scot-free!"_

 _(Punch, kick)_

 _(Swi-GRASP)_

 _"Huh?!"_

 _"And who, the hell said, that I would go down quietly...you BASTAAARD!"_

 _(Flash)_

Then before she knew it, the girl with red irises had launched herself over to Shark's proximity just as he gets shoved back by the wave of power, his body crashing into hers as she wraps her arms tight around his torso to take the bulk of the fall!

"Addy!" "Addy, Shark!"

The boy's Life Points drop to 1100, but his concern was more directed on the girl who cushioned his blow.

"A...Addy...Why'd you-are you okay?"

"Yeah...I'm cool."

The both part to rise up off the ground just as Chills calls over with a mean smirk,

"You're just settin' yourself up for more punishment, little girl..." Scorch alliterates,

"'Cause next I'm destroying your little Zubaba Knight!"

Another Overlay Unit is used up for Volcasaurus, before that shower of ember obliterates Athena's monster, and forces her down on her knees as she fights off the strength of the back-wave, her Life Points dropping to 2400.

"Rrrrgh...!"

Tiffany cries out the other girl's name with worry, but once the attack finishes, Athena dips her head up with a grim smirk and retorts,

"If that's the best you can do in terms striking me, you've got no chance in hell of taking either of us down!"

Shark was a bit taken aback by the casual brush-off, until he remembers,

 _Oh, that's right, I almost forgot: Athena's body doesn't take in physical pain like a normal person's does..._

 _Still...how long can she go for before that immunity goes bitin' her in the ass?_

"Ha! Big words from a bug who's about to be squashed!"

Chills adds to his partner's taunting:

"Your Number Card's as good as ours!"

And as they broke into a chorus of victory-confident laughter, Athena growls while thinking to herself fiercely,

 _Not while I'm alive it's not._

 _I'll fight with all I have by my dueling partner's side, and we will prevail over these rough-cut idiots! Just they wait!_


	12. Relay-Racing to Better Views, Part Two

When we last left in our story, we found Athena and Shark engaging in a tag duel against gang leaders Scorch and Chills in the courtyard of the Heartland City Museum, to stop the latter pair from stealing a prized Duel Monsters Deck that had been donated to the curators not long ago...

Unfortunately, the younger teens were already being struck hard by the men's extended combo strategies, and were now sitting at 2400 (Athena) and 1100 (Shark) Life Points each.

Scorch and Chills continue to taunt the other two for their attempt at bravery.

"You shouldn't have messed with us, you two. You should've stayed home in your pajamas."

"I think what my partner meant to say, is that should've stayed in your crib, in your diapers!"

They both broke into laughs, which would be cut off by the following retort.

"Certainly takes one to know one!"

The two men quickly formed glares that were directed at the red-eyed teen, who was smirking as she got back up on her feet with Shark.

"If you creeps have got nothin' better to do than insult our intelligence and use cheap-ass combo tricks, you two are gonna lose harder than our school's football team did last year."

"Gh!" "Why you-!"

Tiffany and Jamal broke into laughter upon that counter, and the latter calls,

"Nice one, Addy!"

She sends an amused smile back, as Shark compliments,

"Well played."

"Thanks."

"And you're right to not let those words get to you, since we've got the advantage now. Volcasaurus used up all its Overlay Units already."

An expression of realization spreads onto Athena's face, and she grins before exclaiming,

"Good point: He can't use their special ability now. Way'da blow all your good moves in one shot, Scorch!"

"That may be, pipsqueak, but I didn't need it to beat Shark anyway, 'cause ya see, my Volcasaurus can attack him directly!"

Said Number Monster lets out a blast of fire straight at their target, just as the girl calls out,

"Heads up, Shark!" He quickly acts on the defense:

"I activate my Trap, Zeus's Breath! This card can blow off your monster's attack!"

The god-like figure emerges onto the field and commands a few jet-streams of water to evaporate the incoming flames...

"Grh, looks like you lucked out this time..."

Athena lets out a breath and mutters,

"That was too close," to which Chills and his partner counter menacingly,

"You think you're safe now?"

"There's only one way this is ending, and that's you're gonna lose, and Utopia's gonna be ours! I place two cards face-down and end my turn!"

"What a load of egotistical crap! My Draw! Goblinbergh, takeoff for the air! When he flies onto the field, he can bring along another Level Four or below monster with him! This round, I'm bringing out Gagaga Magician!"

As soon as both of the girl's monsters settle onto the field in front of her, Shark says to her,

"I hope you know how to pull this off," while Astral calls,

"Athena, please wait!"

"Alright: I overlay Gagaga and Goblinbergh, and XYZ Summon Number 39: Utopia!"

Said Rank Four Number Card would burst to the field out of the Overlay Network vortex, the units orbs swirling around its body and highlighting the golden sheen of its armour...Tiffany smiles upon seeing the monster:

"Cool! Addy's got a good chance with Utopia here."

Jamal was thinking otherwise:

"I dunno about that, Tiff..."

 _Least she refrained from using the digit during her last duel...But still, is relying on Utopia's strength gonna be enough?_

 _You better not be becoming dependent on those monsters, Addy..._

Chills and Scorch mockingly cry out an 'oooo...', their bodies glowing strong with the dark red/purple aura while their eyes gleam red...

"Look, Chills, a _Number Card._ "

"What-ever will we do, Scorch?...Oh wait, I know: I'll activate the Avalanche Trap Card, and freeze your Utopia in its tracks, preventing it from ever being able to attack!"

Athena grits her teeth and thinks to herself,

 _Crap. Guess I should've seen that move coming..._

"Hahaha, how do you like that, little girl? Your big bad monster's been iced!"

Scorch then adds,

"And guess what? If you're thinkin' about using its special ability, don't bother, 'cause if you do, you'll be taking 500 points of damage."

Athena scoffs and retorts with a grim smile,

"You say that like I'm gonna let your little handicap slow me down. I once dislocated my shoulder and still kept fighting like a beast until my opponent was on the floor. Utopia may be stone cold at the moment, but he'll find a way to fight, just you wait and see!"

Scorch was taken aback by part of the retort:

 _Huh? How the heck can someone get their shoulder dislocated in a duel?_

 _...Just what is this girl?_

Shark was having similar thoughts:

"...That, wasn't directed at dueling, was it?"

Athena shakes her head and replies dryly,

"No...That happened in that 'other life' of mine, during month three...But nevermind that, back to reality: I place two cards face-down and end my turn!"

"Of course you're ending your turn now, pipsqueak: There's nothin' else you can do!"

"Screw you!"

Chills then calls back to the angered teenage girl,

"But there's alot more that we can do! For instance, I can switch Icebergdon into Attack Mode!"

The Level Five dinosaur with the iceberg on it back shifts from displaying 2100 Defense to 1300 Attack Points...

"Know what else I can do? I can have Icebergdon attack Shark directly! Bye-bye, traitor!"

The boy with cerulean shifts his footing, bracing himself for the end...but Athena wasn't gonna let that happen without a fight.

"Not so fast, Chills! I'm activating Utopia's special ability, Lightwing Shield!"

Shark tries to protest against her move:

"Wait, Athena, don't: If you use Utopia's ability, you're gonna get slammed by that Avalanche Trap!"

"Does it look like I care about a little snow?"

He was shocked by the dull reply of the girl beside him, while she gestures a nod for Utopia to keep going, who uses his wings to block off Icebergdon's charging form...Chills then taunts,

"If a hurting is what you want, then a hurting is what you're gonna get!"

Athena only takes a deep breath in and shuts her eyes, before the blustery winds of her opponent's trap card knock her off her feet and slams her to the ground hard, her Life Points dropping to 1900...Once his worried shock wears off with Tiffany's, Jamal then wonders,

"Wait a second...did Addy summon Utopia not to attack those two jerks, but to protect Shark?"

Said duelist looks at the fallen girl with a serious grit:

"Grh, Athena...you shouldn't have done that."

Chills mocks,

"Aww, what friendship...I'm so moved by this touching display, _so moved_ that I think I'll attack again! Pompadour Blizzardon: Attack Shark directly!"

Athena counters his move by calling out,

"Not happening, 'cause I'm activating Utopia's ability again! Go, Lightwing Shield!"

And just like before, said Number Monster would protect Shark from the direct attack, but at the cost of their duelist being bombarded by the icy winds of the trap card. This time, she would kneel downward and place her palms flat on the concrete, gripping some loose cracks to help steady herself from going flying into the air again, wincing from the pressure of the cold air and hailing snow that pelted her body, her Life Points dropping to 1400.

 _As, long as I've, got Life Points to burn, I, won't let, Shark, get, wiped out...!_

Said duelist on her mind could only stare at the girl with wide eyes for her selfless sacrifice...before his eyes are shadowed by his bangs as he turns away. Meanwhile, Jamal and Tiffany call over in worry,

"Addy!" "You okay?!"

Rubbing her arms vigorously, Athena calls back,

"Yeah yeah, I'm fine, 'cept I'm feelin' a biting cold in my veins! Damn..."

"Addy."

"Hm?"

She looks up at Shark's back, who then asks,

"Are you just gonna sit there, or are ya gonna stand up and battle?"

"Uh...(Slight smirk) Kuh, what do you think? Stand up, duh!"

Moving to her feet and walking to meet Shark's proximity again, the girl with red irises then calls over to their opponents,

"Are you jerks done with the target practice? I can keep the boomerang going as long as I've got to!"

Chills quirks to Scorch,

"I think pipsqueak's trying to trash-talk."

"Well _this_ should shut her up...I activate the Volcanic Ash Trap Card! Using this card, I can put Chill's Pompadour Blizzardon in Defense Mode!"

As said dinosaur-like monster curls into itself, Athena mutters to herself,

"Well that's not what I expected. What's with the sudden change to go on the defensive?"

Astral kept silent, his observant expression focused straight ahead to watch Chills send a grin to his dueling partner.

"Thanks for the hookup! Now I activate the power of the Frozen Ice Cave Spell Card! It can increase the level of a monster on my field in Defense Mode!"

Athena winces,

"Oh. That's why..."

"So now Pompadour Blizzardon becomes a Level Five!"

Shark then mutters,

"That's two Level Fives now! Not good..." Chills smirks and calls out,

"I think you both know what's about to happen next. I overlay Level Five Icebergdon and Pompadour Blizzardon!"

Two contrasting shades of blue dive into the golden galactic vortex...

"I hope you two brought your jackets, 'cause the weather outside's about to get _nasty_...I XYZ Summon Number 19: Freezerdon!"

And the beast to grace the dueling field next, Rank Five with 2500 Defense Points displayed, would be one with features similar to an anklyosaurus standing upright, but with wings on its back and its body coloured various shades of frozen blue as if it were trapped within an iceberg...

Athena curses under her breath and exclaims in a hiss,

"As if one Number's not bad enough, now we gotta deal with two?! Fan-freakin-tastic..."

Chills continues his latest move:

"And I think it's time that I help out my partner's, by activating Freezerdon's special ability! So by using one Overlay Unit, I can restore all of Volcasaurus's Overlay Units!"

As the Number blasts a freezing breath in front of the other on their left, Athena and Astral exclaim/comment,

"Aw hell no!"

"That is quite an interesting tactic..."

Soon, Volcasaurus had their two orbs of light whirling around their body once more...The girl with red irises mutters with a glare,

"Greeeaaat, now we gotta deal with more wailing from Volcasaurus..."

Shark comments just as bitterly,

"That's convenient..."

"I place two cards face-down and end my turn." Chills and Scorch laugh smugly as the latter exclaims,

"No one can stand up to the one-two punch of Fire and Ice!"

Astral was becoming all the more suspicious by the duo's 'miraculous stroke of luck'.

"This is not right. Something is strange..."

Finally, Shark narrows it all down:

"They're cheating, Athena." She replies with just as serious a glare,

"Glad to know I'm not the only one who noticed."

Chills retorts in a mockingly dramatic manner,

"Cheating? What a pair of sore losers!" Shark counters,

"Don't play dumb! I know a cheater when I see one, and I, (glances at Athena) we, are looking at two!"

But while the teens dueling were on the same page, the blue-skinned being floating between them was a little confused.

"A, cheetah? Does he mean a large cat?"

Athena facepalms and replies tiredly,

"He said 'chea-ter', not 'chee-tah', as in someone who ignores and breaks the rules without thinking about the consequences."

"You mean...Uh! I see: They're being dishonest!"

Shark slams a fist into his open palm and angrily calls out,

"Figures you losers wouldn't play it straight! I'm gonna guess that you worked out a tag-team strategy in advance, you figured out the cards you needed-"

Athena cuts into the reveal:

"Then rigged your duel disk shuffle system to spit out said cards."

The boy with cerulean eyes pivots his head to look at her with slight surprise at her quick guess.

"How'd you-Wait...don't tell me: You've dueled against people like them before, haven't you?"

Red irises would emotionally darken considerably as she confirms her partner's words.

"I have...and when it wasn't modifying the shuffle system, those punks would use other cheats like causing glitches in their opponent's equipment or stealing cards before replacing them with fakes that wouldn't work. Somehow, I was one of the lucky few that evaded theft...but even so, once the duel started, there wasn't anything I could do to stop the other kinds cheating other than endure. Joke was on them, though."

Athena's lips curved into a cynical smirk:

"Most of the time, I managed to swing a tie in those half-ass duels. That's, where most of my ties came from, actually...even with the scars and beatings that came afterward. The boys of 'that place' didn't let anybody just walk away win or lose: Someone always got thrashed to a bloody pulp."

"Uh...Athena..."

She shakes her head and forms a neutral frown:

"But that's the past, we're talkin' about now, right? I knew there had to be something wrong with those lucky draws of Level Five beasts for Scorch and Chills."

Astral, who remained quiet for a moment during these small spouts of explanations, then remarks,

"So when Scorch used Volcanic Ash to put Chills's monster in Defense Mode, he did so knowing perfectly well that Chills would be able to increase Blizzardon's level, by activating Frozen Ice Cave. They always know what the other is holding, and what they will draw next...If that is truly the case, then these two are not true duelists."

Shark then shouts with a fist raised and a smouldering glare,

"I can't believe you guys call yourselves duelists! You're just a couple of cheating nobodies!"

"Tread lightly, little Shark: Cheating's not a word you wanna be tossing around."

Scorch adds after Chills,

"Meaning the Pot shouldn't be calling the Kettle black! Everyone knows that you cheated during the Nationals!"

Said subject of accusation stiffens frozen, the anger is his eyes burning out to be replaced by shock, while the other young teens and celestial being turn eyes to his form...

"You talk like a champion, but a real champion wouldn't peek at his opponent's deck before the finals!"

Flashback, Shark's POV

 _"All those weeks of watching duelists crush the other's dreams, have finally led to this!"_

 _"That's right, Ron: The National Duel Tournaments are here, and the excitement..."_

 _...I remember..._

 _Those MCs playing up the drama on the TV screens, just adding to the pressure I was already feeling rise in my chest as I sat at that desk in the waiting area, before the signal would be given to head out to the arena for that last time..._

 _"This is it. This is my moment: I have to win this thing!"_

 _...I then heard the sound of a door opening, and looked up to see my **opponent** leaving the room, only to discover a set of Duel Monster Cards left behind on the desk they were likely sitting at!_

 _"Is, that his deck?"_

 _...A part of me knew that what I was about to do was wrong...but the anxiety I felt in that moment...it was too strong to ignore, and gave way to the temptation._

 _It wasn't like anyone was going to know, right?_

 _...Wrong._

 _It would be during the last length of my final duel in that tournament, where everything fell apart._

 _"I've got this. Just one more turn..."_

 _"I place one card face-down and end my turn!"_

 ** _A face-down card...It's gotta be, the card I saw before: Mirror Force!_**

 ** _...This match is mine._**

 _"My turn! I-"_

 _My sentence was cut off instantly by the blaring sound of an alarm, followed by the appearance of several holographic red X signs reading 'Stop: Championship Misconduct', serving to further mock my stupidity in what I had done, along with the MC Ron calling out for all to hear,_

 _"Ho-old on, ladies and gentlemen! Reginald Castle has been disqualified! Security caught some footage of the hopeful duelist looking at his opponent's deck minutes before the duel started!"_

 _...It felt like a tidal wave came crashing against my body, drowning me in the horrible mistake I made that was now visual for the whole nation to see..._

End of Flashback

"What happened after that? Oh-hoh, right: The League banished you for life, and now you'll never duel in a tournament again! Bummer!"

Scorch's words made me feel like my heart was fixing to plummet into my stomach.

"I looked for five seconds. I...I was so scared of defeat..."

That only served to make that jerk Chills laugh mockingly at me:

"Was the whittle bitty baby afwaid to wose the big duel? Talk about pathetic!"

"Waaa, mommy; wosing makes me cry!"

I shut my eyes to try and block out the sound of their taunts...but then snap them back open to the following shout.

"Shut the fuck up!"

 _Uh! Athena...!_

I turned to look at her as she sends a seething glare towards our opponents and spits out,

"Who the hell do you cheaters think you are mocking Shark?! There's no humour in giving into actions that will come back to bite you hard later! I should know damn well 'cause I've made similar blunders in the past!"

 _Uh!...Is she going to reveal...?_

"You recall when you said I looked an awful lot like that chick from the Fallen Stars, Berserker? Well here's a newsflash: I don't just look. I was her!"

That confession actually took those jerks aback, they forming expressions of shock and...slight fear?

"Hmph, that's right: I was once known as the little she-devil that showed no mercy to the ones I faced in the ring. I held no emotions, like a machine, and would beat the living tar out of my opponents, whether in regular brawls, or during those house rule duels that bastard Trilos set up for the hell of it."

 _Huh? House Rule Duels?_

She didn't elaborate that bit, instead going on with a more gruff and slight catching in her voice.

"Maybe in the deepest realm of my mind, I knew that what I was doing was wrong, but I didn't give a rat's ass during those days. All I cared about, was finding a way to numb that hurt...that, emotional hurt that shook through my body thanks to those freaks who took away my ability to physically feel pain..."

I heard her friend Tiffany whimper from the sidelines,

"Oh Addy," as she herself grits her teeth and chokes out,

"It sickens me now to know I was so stupid to believe that Trilos offered me a way out. What he did was give me the keys to the gates of Hell, which I took with no hesitation whatsoever...If I had kept going with those suicide matches, I probably would've ended up as another forgotten corpse on those dirty streets..."

 _...Athena..._

"But that was then, and this is now. 'Berserker' is dead, I'm still alive and able to stand on my own two feet. I refuse to let my mistakes weigh me: Instead, I use them as a reminder to never become that close to my end again!"

She gestures her free hand to my direction as she adds more strongly,

"It's the same for Shark: He screwed up, he knows that, but isn't so weak that he'd just give up on his livelihood! Neither of us are! We'll keep fighting against our mistakes no matter how many times they try to back us into a corner, because we know we're better than that! That's what makes us different from you two, lost causes who allow themselves to give into temptation again and again with no disregard to who gets hurt, not even yourselves!"

...I was stunned speechless by this girl's words, and the roughened experience I could hear in each word blurted out.  
Chills and Scorch on the other hand, weren't so much moved, but found a new target to mock.

"Hah! What a powerful little speech! Just how much more ironic can you get, hearing that from a former street fighter?!"

"Speaking of backs to the wall, all you've got is a monster on ice! You're done, 'Berserker'!"

I hear her growl lowly from Scorch using her old street title, before I got her back on track.

"Athena."

"Yeah?"

"(Smirk) Let's take these clowns out."

"Uh...(Grin) Ha, you got it!"

With that, I begin my next turn in this duel:

"It's my turn: I Draw! First, I'm activating a Spell Card, XYZ Gift! When there's at least two XYZ Monsters on the field, I can use XYZ Gift to draw two more cards! Next, I summon Needle Sun Fish!"

My Level Three monster jumps onto the field just as I ready to use another Spell.

"Now I activate the Surface Spell Card from my hand! This allows me to summon one monster from my Graveyard, so watch out, 'cause Big Jaws is comin' back for more!"

Athena calls to me encouragingly,

"Do it, man!"

"I overlay Level Three Needle Sun Fish and Big Jaws! With these two monsters, I build the Overlay Network and XYZ Summon Black Ray Lancer!"

My Rank Three monster with 2100 Attack Points rises to stand in front of me at battle ready, making my partner smile a bit in anticipation.

"Finally, I get to see this big guy in action..."

I smirk slightly, remembering when I showed her this card earlier before we came to the museum, before getting on with my next move.

"I now activate Black Ray Lancer's special ability: By using one Overlay Unit, I can stop Volcasaurus from using its special abilities!"

"You what?!"

Athena adds with a smug smirk to Scorch,

"Which means your Number can easily be taken out!"

"Except that Volcasaurus has more Attack Points!"

 _Heh, not for long..._

"Oh yeah, about that, I activate Needle Sun Fish's special ability: Since this guy was sent to the Graveyard, Volcasaurus loses 500 Attack Points!"

Athena cries out excitedly,

"Ha! Lancer can skewer Volcasaurus!"

I don't let either of us wait another second longer:

"What're you waiting for, Black Ray Lancer? Attack Volcasaurus! Go, Shimmering Spear Slash!"

And I would've succeeded in destroying that Number...if Chills hadn't interfered.

"Keh, I activate Compensation Exchange! This Trap Card stops Black Ray Lancer's attack, but now, my Life Points get hit by all of Volcasaurus's Attack Points!"

I growl slightly in annoyance while watching his Life Points drop to 2000, while Athena exclaims just as miffed,

"Damn you! You just had to slide up front, didn't you?!"

"He takes the hits and I dish 'em out!"

"That's how the leaders of the pack roll...and if I remember right, that's how some of those _tag fights_ worked in the Fallen Stars. Am I right or wrong, little girl?"

I glance over at Athena, who clenches her jaw with a burning anger in her irises, but chose to stay silent...I wouldn't have time to wonder before Scorch called out his own move.

"And now I activate, Volcanic Abyss! With this card, I can check out one of your hands, and if there's a monster card, it gets sent back to your deck! Let's see...you holdin' any monster cards, pipsqueak?"

I hear Athena curse,

"Fuck, he's talking to me...Great, there goes one of my cards..."

Since the trap allowed all of us to see her hand, I was able to make note of what she currently held.

 _Gogogo Golem and Monster Reborn...I wonder..._

"You've got a monster in your hand. Now you've gotta send it back to your deck."

Athena mutters solemnly,

"See you around next time, Golem," while I finish up my turn, a new plan running through my head.

"I place one card face-down and end my turn." Scorch was up next:

"And now I'll end you! My move; I Draw! Get ready to feel the heat, Shark, 'cause I'm activating Volcasaurus's special ability, Magma Mass!"

 _Why am I not surprised..._

"First, Volcasaurus destroys Black Ray Lancer, and then you take damage equal to Black Ray Lancer's Attack Points! (Laugh) Nighty-night, Shark!"

Athena calls out my name in warning as Scorch taunts,

"You're finished! Volcasaurus, attack Black Ray Lancer!"

My monster disappears in a cluster of pixels...

"Say goodbye!"

"Oh no you don't!"

I turn to Athena's direction in surprise, as she suddenly activates one of her face-downs.

"I activate Damage Diet! With this card, the damage you're dealing to Shark this turn's cut in half!"

Thanks to my dueling partner, I barely survive the heat wave inflicted on me with 50 Life Points...

"And now, I activate Icy Crevasse! So now I can destroy one of your monsters, and then strike you with damage equal to your monster's Attack Points!"

Athena adds in a taunt as we watched Volcasaurus start to sink downward into the quaking ground,

"Let's see how you like a taste of your own medicine, Scorch!"

"So you're tryin' to take out my partner and his monster, are ya?!"

We turn eyes to Chills as he suddenly calls out,

"Well by activating Force Change, I can make Freezerdon and me take the fall instead!"

 _Uh! He's sacrificing himself to save Scorch?!...Guess even cheaters can be loyal sometimes._

No sooner after Freezerdon takes the plunge into the lava crevice, Chills is thrown backwards with an outcry by the force of impact, his Life Points dropping all the way to zero...

Neither I or my partner seemed overly bothered by the switch of defeat:

"Hm, oh well, least your trap took one of 'em out, right?"

"Yeah."

Scorch on the other hand...was pissed as all hell:

"Why you little punks...! _Nobody messes with the Chills!_ I use Volcasaurus's special ability to destroy Utopia!"

Athena's monster was swept away with the tide of fire, which she would feel the backlash of...but survived thanks to her trap with 150 Life Points.

"Ggh! I activate Damage Diet again!"

"I'll finish you in a sec, but now Volcasaurus, attack Shark directly!"

But I had one more ace up my sleeve:

"I play the Final Offering Trap Card! With this trap card's power, I can force a battle to stop by pulling one card from my hand, and giving it to another player, like Athena!"

Said girl catches the card between her fingertips as I toss it to her, giving me a look of mild surprise.

"Seriously?...You're letting me use one of your own cards?"

"Yup."

 _I know you'll be able to use it right..._

"Lucky break for you, but...now, I activate the Twin Volcano Spell! This card explodes for 500 points of damage for each of my turns, and it erupts for 500 points of damage, when I send it to the Graveyard!"

Athena curses,

"Crap...we're screwed when it becomes his turn again..."

Chills, who was now kneeling on one knee, calls with a sardonic smile,

"You little runts are done for!" Scorch adds just as amused,

"Not that you ever had a chance!"

I call back calmly,

"That's where you're wrong: You guys are the ones who are done for."

I hear Athena mutter,

"Hope for both our sakes you're right...My Draw!...Hmm...how do I carry this one out?"

 _The answer is right in front of you...You can do it, Athena._

Athena's POV

 _Alright, crunch time, girl: Let's see..._

 _The card Shark gave me just now is, Armoured XYZ...And if I use that with Monster Reborn..._

 _Aha! I got it!_

With my plan set, I begin the first step by bringing back the monster I needed.

"I activate the Spell, Monster Reborn!"

"Who's she revivin' for this duel? Utopia?!"

"No, Jamal...I'm pulling back Black Ray Lancer for another round from Shark's Graveyard!"

Scorch lets out a big laugh at my revival choice:

"You could've brought out a game-changer like Utopia, but instead, you just brought out a game- _ender_!"

Shark coolly retorts,

"I don't think so."

"You don't?"

I smirk and reply,

"Of course he doesn't, dumbass, because I'm now activating the Spell, Armoured XYZ!"

"That doesn't sound too good..."

"All of a sudden, you two losers aren't lookin' so confident..."

Matching my partner's smirk, I chide with some mock directed at our opponents,

"Oh don't be too hard on them, Shark. They do have the right to get nervous...since this card allows me to equip one monster on my field with an XYZ from my Graveyard! Come on back, Utopia!"

My Number rose to the field once more, before I add,

"Okay! I equip Black Ray Lancer with Utopia!"

In that light, both mine and Shark's monsters fuse into one, and Lancer was now sporting golden armour alongside its blue/purple-sheen black and 2500 Attack Points...

"That's nice that you made your Lancer stronger, but did you forget that only a Number can destroy a Number?"

"Nope."

"We got that covered."

Both Scorch and Chills stutter out,

"What?!"

Shark and I explain,

"As far as technicalities are concerned, Black Ray Lancer now has Utopia's powers..."

"In other words, Lancer's become a Number now!"

That served to shatter their confidence completely:

"Do you realize what this means?!"

"Volcasaurus is goin' extinct!"

I waste no more seconds to finish this duel off:

"Black Ray Lancer: Attack Volcasaurus!"

Using its spear, the monster takes out the opposing Number in one fell slash, leaving Scorch to cringe as his Life Points drop to 1900...

"Your partner's out of the picture and you've got no monsters to hide behind!"

I agreed with Shark wholeheartedly:

"It's safe to say that you're gonna get pwned, for by sending Utopia to the Graveyard, Black Ray Lancer's able to swing in one more time to attack you directly!"

"Whah?! No way!"

"Oh yes way! Go, Shimmering Spear Slash!"

One kaboom from the monster's power sends Scorch and Chills flying to the ground, as the former's Life Points fall to zero, spelling victory for Shark and me.

 _Oh yeah, that's how ya do it!_

No POV

As the AR World dissolves away to give headway for reality once again, Tiffany and Jamal cheer for their victorious friends.

"Woo-hoo, they did it; they won!"

"Alright, Addy!"

Meanwhile, Astral's focus was on extracting the two Numbers Volcasaurus and Freezerdon from the duo formerly known as Scorch and Chills.

 _Observation Number Twelve: Not every duelist in this world duels with honour. Some are willing to compromise their spirits, as long as it means winning._

...As soon as Numbers 61 and 19 touched his fingertips, however, the celestial being was struck with a rather disturbing image.

"Uh!"

(Pulse...)

The image shown to him, was of his home galaxy being struck with inferno red, comet-like blows from an outward source, followed by the distant sound of muffled screams from a large mass...

Astral's face was frozen with shock, not just from the new memory, but also,

 _This image...looks like what Athena had described seeing flash within her own mind before..._

 _...I wonder._

He glances down at the girl with a newly serious expression:

 _Is it possible that a part of her subconscious, holds memories related to my world?_

 _...Those days of her captivity by those rogue scientists...They might hold another answer that will take me a step closer to remembering everything I lost._

 _But until the trauma relieves her...I can only be patient._

Just as Astral comes to that decision, the two gang leaders awoke with their own heads muddled over recent events.

"Wha...What happened to us, Chills?"

"I dunno. I don't remember nothin'..."

They look up, only to cringe when they meet the glaring eyes of the young teens they just dueled (not that they necessarily recall)...

"Look, it's Shark!"

"A-And that crazy Berserker chick! Run away!"

As they turned to sprint out of the area, Jamal and Tiffany jeer with smirks on their faces,

"Kuh, cowards!"

"Don't you mess with us again!"

Athena shakes her head slightly in amusement from her friends, before turning to meet the eyes of her best male friend.

"...Jamal."

"Addy..."

Forming a guilty frown, the boy with dreadlocks tilts his head down and mutters,

"I'm, sorry I've been actin' like a total flake these last few days...I guess, I was just feelin' left out of the loop from all that time you were suddenly spendin' with Shark..."

His cheeks colour a little in embarrassment, and Athena's expression forms a mix of sympathy and exasperation.

 _Oh geez, Jamal..._

"Like hell I'm gonna push ya out of my life, dude. (Small smirk) We've been tight friends since elementary; what kind of person would I be if I just threw it all away?"

"Uh..."

"Tch, but whatever. It's all done and out there, so let's put it all behind tonight and move on fresh in the morning. Sound good?"

Jamal looks at the girl with red irises in amazement for her willingness to forgive and forget, and glances over at Tiffany, who smiles gently and nods in agreement...He then smiles and says,

"Uh, yeah, sure. Water under the bridge. And hey, soon as we meet up tomorrow, we should have a duel!"

"Sounds like a plan!"

"I'm outta here."

"Hm?"

Athena turns to see Shark begin to casually walk away, but stops when she calls him to a halt.

"Hang on a sec! (Pulls out a card) Your Armoured XYZ. Don't you want it back for your deck?"

Without turning around, Shark replies,

"Nah...keep it."

"Uh, you sure?"

"Yeah. (Glances over his shoulder) You can use all the help you can get."

Feeling slightly insulted, Athena pouts and replies,

"O-Oi, watch it! If I recall, I was the one who helped you!"

Shark just smirks a little and softly calls a,

"Later," before continuing his way, leaving Athena to smile a bit and call back,

"...See you around, Shark."

Small Time Skip, Athena's POV

Thankfully, I managed to get home before I'd be too late for dinner with Grandpa and my bros, and after hitting the bathroom for a much-needed shower with a pair of dark red pajama shorts, undies and a grey-white pajama shirt, I would find myself sprawled across my bed with a more relaxed expression on my face, my brain still a bit wired from the excitement of that tag duel.

 _Man, that was one of the best duels I've had yet...I hope everybody got home safe, Shark especially..._

 _I wonder which part of the city he lives in? I know he's not from this neighbourhood..._

My thoughts were interrupted by my wandering eyes fixating on Astral's form again, who since the end of the duel has been real quiet, with trouble flickering in and out in his thinking expression.

 _He hasn't said a word since he retrieved Volcasaurus and Freezerdon..._

 _Each Number represents a memory, but, so far none of them have left him drifting this distantly..._

 _...Did he remember something bad, scary?_

Seeing him this muddled made a part of my heart ache, because I had been brave enough to vent my tragic and fragmented memories to him, so, it wouldn't be unfair of him to do the same if he needed to...I wasn't gonna be able to fall asleep until I saw the blue being calmer, so clearing my throat a bit, I softly call him to attention.

"...Astral?"

"Hm?"

He looks down at me from his position near the foot of my bed, and I ask him,

"Is, everything alright? You've been silent as a mouse since that earlier duel ended...Does it have something to do with, Numbers 61 and 19?"

His eyes widen slightly in surprise from my question...before he looks away and mutters,

"It, does...but you shouldn't have to worry yourself with my troubles."

"Why not? You've done so with me."

Astral looks eye-to-eye with me again, and I sigh a touch before crawling on my hands and knees over to the end of the bed where he was, settling into a kneel while leaning my arms on the hardwood.

"I've harped about my own struggles with otherwise unpleasant memories...Why can't you do the same? (Sad smile) It'll make you feel less alone and trapped inside the labyrinth of your own mind."

"Uh...Athena..."

"Please, Astral. I understand if you're still trying to process a, initial shock...but take it from someone who knows: Staying silent for too long can really hurt yourself internally. It's usually best to find a good person to talk to...Get it all out in one go."

...The room falls silent for a few minutes, the two of us not breaking eye contact...until the being before me lets out an inaudible sigh and comments,

"Your stubbornness truly knows no bounds." I smirk wryly and retort,

"Comes with being a teenager...So?"

"Alright...I will tell you what I saw."

He then spins out a description of what I'm guessing to be the same event happening at different times, neither which were better or worse than the other...When he was done, my eyes were wide with shock:

"So, your world was being attacked by something?"

"It would seem so, and unfortunately, I do not have any clues to tell who the source of the attack was, why they were antagonizing my world...or when exactly this event occurred."

I could hear a bit more worry in his tone on that last bit, and ask,

"Are you, thinking that the memory could be more recent than it appears?"

"It is possible...It is also possible that this could be happening right now."

That thought sent a shiver down my spine, but Astral wasn't finished:

"What truly concerns me, however...was how this memory mirrors that occurrence you spoke of a few days ago."

 _Huh? Occurrence?_

 _...Wait!_

"(Gulp) Y-You mean, those weird visions I experienced, after my last, fist fight for the Fallen Stars..."

"Yes."

He then floats around so he was hovering in front of me from the side of my bed, his face reflecting a kind of seriousness that made me stiffen a bit nervously while shifting so I had my palms resting on my thighs.

"U-Uh...Astral?"

"Athena...I need you to be honest with me: What exactly do you recall from your past regarding those visions? Was that incident in the Mirror Alley the one time...or was there another?"

I was taken aback by such a question...but seeing the desperateness hiding behind the mismatched gold and white, made me feel like I needed to at least try and wrack my brain for an answer, anything to reply to the being before me. Holding the side of my head and shutting my eyes, I go into a moment of deep thought...but could only find the same things I've said already, which filled me with unease in my gut.

"I...I'm not sure. Honestly, I thought that what I saw was a part of my mental break...If there was another time before that, I likely forgot them faster then they came, like those kinds of nightmares that come once in a while to scare the living heck out of oneself."

"...I see..."

"...But on the other hand..."

I look up with my own serious expression and mutter with a twinge of a bitter air,

"There's still alot of what happened during my kidnapping I can't remember...Maybe I had an envisioning back then too, related to your world and your memories."

Astral's eyes light up with interest:

"Are you suggesting that something happened during your captivity that allowed your mind to see events occurring in my homeworld?"

"Can't say for sure. I still don't even know how I escaped from that hellhole..."

I felt one of my hands subconsciously reach up from my legs to grip my pendant securely as I recall,

"But, I remember that, the Key was on me the entire time...It never left my neck."

...One of Astral's hands suddenly reaches out to hover over the one gripping my pendant, his eyes fixating on the gold between my fingertips with an almost suspicious gaze.

"You're quite certain that it never left you? Did your captors ever try to relieve you of it?"

"...Maybe. Like I said, most of the incident's still foggy to me, but...there's this gut feeling, that's telling me those bastards failed in trying to take the Key away. That, I did something to stop them...or, that the Key itself did something? I dunno; it's all so confusing."

The both of us let out tried breaths, and Astral straightens back up before saying with a more neutral expression,

"Well, I suppose it will not help to pressure your mind into remembering. It would be best for you to recollect at a steadier pace."

 _...Astral..._

He then flashes me a ghost of a smile and says in a sincere tone,

"Thank you, Athena, for allowing me to vent. You, were right: The uncertainty does not feel as suffocating as before."

"Uh...(Small smile) Anytime."

"Now, I believe we're reaching past your usual time to sleep?"

I almost let out a laugh at his parental tone, and nodded in agreement before shuffling over and under the covers of my bed.

"Right, right...Goodnight, Astral."

"...Goodnight, Athena."

With that, I fell soundly asleep, blessed with a night filled with only rest and no dreams of any kind to make my heart quiver with unnecessary excitement...or fear.


	13. Dual Bullseyes

A new day comes and quavers away through the fair City of Heartland, but unfortunately, this hour was not starting on a good note within the main building of the shopping district, as a newly dire situation takes place, covered by noneother than Terry's girlfriend, Yoko, who was filling in for one of the other local news anchors. Her bubblegum pink hair was pinned up with a clip or two, while she wore a simple, french mauve-coloured t-shirt dress with a dark grey vest overtop matching her one-inch heels.

"We're here at the city shopping center, where two unknown individuals have blockaded all access points to the top floor. We understand that-"

Her announcement was suddenly cut off by the sound of a Litterbot crying out one of its signature phrases as it dropped down from the top floor of the mall!

"Trash identified, trash indenti-"

(SMASH)

Innocent bystanders scrambled to get out of the way in time, as we zoom in on the origin point where the poor robotic victim was thrown from. Their assaulter was a young man in his very late teens with a pale complexion, highlighting his short-cut hair of strawberry blond and black-green, dark purple eyes outlined with black eyeliner, and wore an outfit comprised of a dark tan tank-top under a black vest jacket lined with red and blue rhinestone-studded buttons, spiked wrist bands, red pants with a singular white stripe running down the pant legs on both sides, and brown sneakers. He held out a black baseball bat with a menacing sneer and calls out,

"Now you're trash; dumb Litterbot!"

Down below, the busted-up trash-collector stutters out,

"Don't forget to recycle," as Athena, dressed in her school uniform, calls up with an aggravated expression,

"Oi, watch where you're tossin', you idiot!"

She and Tiffany, who had come to the mall after school to hang out, were standing in the crowd of witnesses on the main floor, watching with gritted/worried expressions at the scene unfolding. Back up top, the punk calls out in a warning tone to the policemen behind the barricade,

"For the last time, make good on our demands, or the hostages are gonna get it!"

"I'd listen to him if I were you..."

Looking at the far left of the first rugged young man, we see a second individual who had a similar skin complexion but highlighting a few battle scars on his arms and neck, sharp-looking Mohawk hair coloured dark blue, multiple piercings on his left ear, dark brown eyes, and wore an outfit of a lime green, ripped muscle tank-top, black cargo pants with a white skull printed on the left pocket, and brown boots. He holds out a long chain he was using as his own weapon with a sadistic smirk and says,

"See, my friend and I aren't very patient, and the longer we have to wait, the less of a chance these people we've got are gonna leave without some form of injury..."

He cracks the chain in a whip-like fashion towards the four other innocents sitting on the ground defensively (A young boy, his parents and another young lady), who flinch back with frightened expressions, making him laugh darkly. The first punk adds,

"See that? We mean business! The clock's tickin'!"

Gritting her own teeth slightly, Yoko shakes her head before forming a serious expression to continue with her job.

"The standoff continues. It's unclear if authorities will meet their demands of money and a helicopter. We will see as we continue to monitor the situation..."

Back below, Tiffany mutters to herself with worry,

"I hope dad and his partners know what they're doing up there. These punks looks serious."

Athena growls a little, nodding in agreement:

 _And they are...'cause I've seen these guys before. They used to frequent to the Fallen Star Building alot to participate in a couple fights._

 _The aggression levels of the one with the bat don't have a strong cap: If the police don't use the right negotiation technique, things are gonna get bloody up there real fast._

 _...But something about this feels strange: First there was Scorch and Chills getting sweet-talked into a heist by Trilos...and now we have two of his older fighters coming out to cause trouble._

"(Mumble) What the hell is that bastard up to now...?"

The girl with red irises would be pulled out of her thoughts to the sound of her duel gazer ringing, and she pulls it out of her pocket to answer...only to meet the stern expression and voice of her older brother Terry.

"(Digital) Athena! Are you at the shopping center right now?"

"Are you suggesting I'm taking a detour to goof off when I should be coming home to start on my homework? (Feigned offense) How dare you!"

Tiffany sweatdrops and replies,

"But, ya kind-a are," making Athena hiss,

"Stuff it, would ya?"

"(Digital) Tiffany's correct. And would you like to know how I know she's right, Addy? Because I can see the two of you on the live news report right now!"

And looking up at one of the mall's television monitors, the girl with long, shaggy black hair tipped copper-red cringes at seeing her captured image.

 _Craaaaap..._

Terry then barks at her,

"(Digital) But I'll give you a pass this time, only if you find a way to get up there and see how Yoko's doing! Once you're done, I expect you to get your ass home! Got it?!"

"(Salute) Yes, sir!"

With a huffed nod, Athena's older brother hangs up, leaving the girl to let out a deep sigh of annoyed exasperation.

"People say manual labour's the most demanding job out there...I'd like to see them take a turn at being a younger sister."

Her attention is then back on the TV monitor as it switches from showing Yoko to a close-up of the punk criminals who caused this new fiasco.

"Quit stallin', or you're gonna be sorry!"

"We'll use the little kid as an example first if we have to!"

Narrowing her eyes, Athena quietly wonders to herself,

"What the hell's goin' though those guy's heads? Last I checked, Trilos's boys usually avoid camera time...Their angle is ensuing fear into the public heart without having their faces too well-recognized..."

Just as she finishes that characterization, Astral appears outside her key in front of her.

"Look, there."

"Hm?"

She follows his gaze, and widens her eyes when she spots the numeral symbol 56 tattooed on the first punk's left shoulder!

"It is a Number."

"(Cracks knuckles) Damn...then no wonder that creep's off his rocker: The Number's not allowing him to think straight. As for the second one...he's always been a sadistic son-of-a-bitch..."

With that, Athena turns around to lightly shove her way out of the crowd to find a way to get up to where they were.

"I gotta get up there, fast!"

Tiffany tries to call her back, but to no avail...Meanwhile, just outside the mall at the top of a nearby skyscraper, another unknown male was zeroing his eyes on the XYZ Monster in question as well.

"...Number confirmed."

He motions to a small robot (known as an Orbital model to the tech savvies of Heartland City) standing ready behind him.

"Time to spread our wings."

"(Salute) Y-You got it, boss!"

On that note, the unknown male jumps right off the tip of the skyscraper with the robot following shortly after, before the latter shifts forms to attach to the former in a glider formation!

"Let the hunt begin!"

...Back inside, Athena has just reached one of the shut-off elevators and was making her way past some people to get higher.

"'Scuse me, pardon me, comin' through!"

"Hey, look up there!"

She pauses to the sound of a random shopper pointing to something swooping in and out over the glass dome roof of the mall.

"Looks like a glider or something!"

"What is that?"

She narrows her eyes in suspicion from the shadow...but shrugs and continues with her current objection.  
Meanwhile, both of the punks up top had reached their limit of patience:

"Hey! Time's up!"

"Break out the helicopter and cash, or these people suf-Huh?!"

(CRASH)

Before they could continue their threats, the gliding figure smashes their way through the glass dome, before landing swiftly and smoothly on the ground! At the same time, Athena was pushing through to the next elevator, when she accidentally bumps into a man holding a tub of popcorn.

(Thwump)

"Oh!"

She lands on her behind and shakes her head to rid herself of any dizziness...only to bulge her eyes, when she sees that no one and nothing except herself was moving!

"W-What the hell?! Who hit the pause button?! Why's nothing moving?"

Astral, who was also somehow still moving, floats closer to her side and remarks,

"It would appear that time has been frozen."

"But how's that even possible?...Wait, do you hear that?"

By that, she was referring to the sound of someone whistling an eerie tune, they being the figure who skydived down from the adjacent skyscraper to land within the mall, who was now slowly and ominously approaching the one punk with the shorter hair and bat who was still able to move about.

"Huh, hey, what's happening? How come nobody's moving?"

His gaze locks with the frozen body of his associate with the chain and Mohawk, who was flinching from some shards that were suspended in midair, before he turns the focus on the approaching figure and their robot.

"(Points with his bat) So you're behind this, huh?!"

Zooming in, we see that this new face was a young man in his late teens with pale skin, blond hair curled upward in a point, with dark green dying his front bangs that also spiked up a bit in five points, slate grey-blue eyes, and wearing a black trench-coat with a red-trimmed high collar over a grey shirt, a fingerless black leather glove on his right hand, and white pants with a belt looping through it that carried two purple-shaded Duel Monster deck boxes contrasting his black boots.

"Such questions are irrelevant, little punk. What is relevant, is what I do, and that's hunt Numbers."

"So, you're some kind-of an accountant?"

"You thickheaded thug! Why don't I just demonstrate."

Suddenly, the robot following the blond extends its neck and spots the damaged Litterbot on the ground floor, which left them quite bristled.

"Mmmrh, t-this bozo has no respect for robots!"

They turn their head to the young man:

"D-Demonstrate all over the hothead!"

One glare from the latter makes the former retract back and act more sheepish.

"I-I mean, if you want, M-Master Kite."

They, Kite, focus back on the punk with a goal-seeking gaze:

" _Oh, I want_...Prepare to duel, you lowlife!"

"Duel?! You serious?"

"(Smirk) Oh yes. I'm always serious when it comes to hunting Numbers."

The punk forms a sneer and retorts back,

"Well then, come and get it; I got one right here!"

We see that he held Number 56 between his fingertips, a Rank One XYZ that had the appearance of a golden-armoured armadillo...

"And I'm sure you've got a few of your own Number Cards, _Kite,_ (drops his bat) so what do you say we make this interesting? What do you say you put one on the line too?"

"That's fine, because I won't be losing!"

The robot agrees with Kite wholeheartedly:

"H-He ain't lyin'!"

It then opens a compartment at the top of its head to shoot out Kite's duel disk, as he gets himself fired up for the battle beginning.

"Now then, you don't mind if I change, do you? Hrrrah!"

His body is wrapped in a strange glow, that shifts the colour scheme of most of his clothing to white!

"Go, Photon Transformation!"

His duel disk swings downward like a boomerang to click onto his left arm in a crescent moon design, while his left eye, contrary to the traditional gazers, is tattooed with the shape of a gazer in dark blue, while his iris shifts to red!

"There. I'm quite comfortable now, (chuckle) and you're in quite a bit of trouble."

Down about two floors, Astral senses the duel that was starting, and quickly floats down to warn Athena just as she tries to work her way between two chubby older women.

"Come on, ladies, please moooove! Ugh, alright, screw it, I'm going full-acro on this elevator!"

Placing her palms on the escalator rails, she crouches down with a big breath, before launching herself into the air in a somersault-jump over the people to the upper part of the frozen mobile stairs!

"Hah, hah, geez, the things I gotta do..."

"Athena, quickly: A Number Duel is afoot."

"A what?!...Why am I not surprised those digits have a part to play?"

Just as the girl makes the sarcastic remark, her ears pick up on the sound of the young punk crying out.

"Yaaah!"

 _Huh? Is the duel ending that quick?_

 _...Better step up the pace._

So while she continued to work her way upward with Astral, we check back into the duel just as Number 56 was summoned by the punk criminal...But it would seem that doing so mattered not, for the battle was going in favour of the mysterious duelist, Kite.

"N-No, no, this duel can't be over already! Please, I beg you, show mercy!"

Kite's response was cold and blunt:

"I'm afraid that's one skill I do not possess...Go, Galaxy Eyes Photon Dragon: Attack with Photon Stream of Destruction!"

Said monster, that held the countenance of an upright galactic dragon, releases a torrent of shooting-star like energy to destroy the Number, the impact sending the punk flying to the ground and knocking out the last of his Life Points...As the AR World shuts down, so too does the 'Photon Transformation', before Kite gestures an arm forward.

"And now...to take my prize!"

A strange, transparent, ghostly-blue hand reflects out of his arm, and shoots right into the punk's torso, making him cry out in protest and pain, before the Number is forcibly extracted from their person to be held by Kite in an orb, before it shifts into the more familiar card form...

"Success. The Number's mine."

"W-Way to go, sir!"

With that, Kite and the Orbital Unit exit the area...By this time, Athena had finally reached the top floor, and began rushing past the news crew and the police, glancing at Yoko's frozen form as well as Tiffany's Father's, before hopping over the barricade towards the defeated punk's sprawled form...only to discover,

"Guh! Oh my god...He's aged...!"

Looking down, we see that the forced extraction of the Number Card had done alot more damage than say the version Astral uses: The punk had somehow aged biologically several decades, now reflecting the facade of an old man, their skin paled and sallow while his hair was stark white!

Athena kneels down and asks with narrowed eyes,

"Hey, Home-run Boy: If you can hear me, tell me who did this to you!"

 _Hate to admit it, but even he doesn't deserve a fate this weird..._

The punk darts his irises to meet the red of the girl's, and widens them slightly when he recognizes her.

"Y...Y-You're, her. But Trilos, said-"

"Whatever cock-and-bull he's told you about me is a lie. I'm very much alive and plan to keep it that way...Now come on, spill: Who did this to you?"

"...N-Number, Hunter."

His answer only caused Athena to quirk a brow:

"Huh? Number Hunter? Who's he?"

Astral was also puzzled:

"Number Hunter?...Uh! Can it be?"

He tries to do an internal search for the Number Card...but found nothing, much to his shock.

"Dear me!...His, Number was taken?"

It was then Athena's eyes catch sight of Kite's form flying out of the mall with the robot in gilder form.

 _Uh! Is that him, then, the Number Hunter?_

As soon as the mysterious duelist was gone, time moves once more, with Athena shielding herself from the cracked glass.

"Whoa! Geez, did he not know what a door is...?!"

"Ah! Russ! No!"

"Huh?"

Her attention then spins in address to the enraged outcry, before she's hoisted into the air by her uniform shirt by the other punk with the Mohawk hair and the chain as a weapon!

"You! What the hell did you do, you little-?!"

"I-I, I didn't do a damn thing! Now get, off!"

(KICK)

"Guh!"

Athena then whacks her right foot into the young man's torso, causing him to release her and land on his behind, she dropping to a crouch before straightening up and smoothing the material of her uniform.

 _That'll teach him to manhandle a girl...Oh crap!_

"Hrrraaaah, you'll pay for that, bitch!"

"Rgh, you wanna fight?! Bring it on!"

The spectators would then receive quite a show, as the young girl (who to them appeared seemingly out of nowhere) and roughnecked punk go into an all-out brawl, with Yoko reporting the coverage in front of the camera.

"And the plot just thickened!"

...Turning away from the fiasco at the local shopping center, we now follow the path of several Heartland City garbage trucks to the inner district, where inside a sanitation depot, several dozen Litterbots are emptied of their daily pick-up. Then, that massive sea of trash travels to another section of the plant, where standing in the middle of a pillared floor, was a young boy with pixie-cut light blue hair with three red accessory pieces atop just before his bangs, pale skin, and wore an outfit comprised of a dark blue sleeveless shirt matching his shorts and shoes, and black-blue wristbands.

His expression was one of suppressed pain, grimacing and breathing a bit shakily, before he strains out,

"It's starting again...! (Darts his head up) I'm so sorryyyyyy!"

We see his golden irises were wide, crazed and a bit bloodshot, before his entire body is engulfed in a red light that soon shoots into the air, diving downward where the spilling trash was landing...

...That destination, would be noneother than Astral World, and we discover that the source of those comet-like attacks was in fact this young boy's power, which compresses the trash into large, sparking asteroids to plummet onto the surface of the galaxy!

The feedback of energy from these blows bounces back to the underground room where the boy was, and he holds his arms upward as he feels the power pulsate, his lips upturned in a smile that held no sanity.

"The energy...fills, me...!"

And he lets out a hysterical laugh to boom around the metal walls...

We turn now to another building in this district, as Kite returns to report to his own boss behind his activities as an apparent 'Number Hunter'. He hears them call him inside, and the door automatically slides open to reveal the inside of a spacious monitor room, with a singular abstract chair in the middle.

"...Did you retrieve the Number, Kite?"

"I did."

The figure turns around, revealed to be a man with short dark-aqua hair save the lime green bangs styled over part of his forehead, a golden round-stud earring on his right ear, his skin pale complexioned and highlighting his large orange square glasses that had points in the upper corners and a red V making the bridge, the glass showcasing his purple irises, while the rest of his wear includes a blue-green suit, pale yellow shirt, an orange tie with a blue clip, and white shoes.

"That's superb news! And superb news for Heartland City. Your dueling skills will soon bring peace there. So, how many Numbers is it that you have now?"

"...Orbital?"

The robot reports,

"A-At last count..."

It projects a grid screen from its eye, and highlights several spaces representing captured Numbers.

"Eleven N-Number Cards are in our possession."

The man's smiles grows slightly:

"Wonderful; so many in such a short time! I knew I picked the right man for the job."

That's when he noticed that the younger male's expression was of the opposite he was feeling.

"...What's wrong, Kite?" He takes a guess to what was conflicting the youth:

"Now now. Don't tell me you're upset about all the souls that you've been capturing? As you well know, when you take a Number, there's no way to avoid taking a bit of that Number Keeper's Life Force too. _But what's a few extra gray hairs?_ After all, everyone ages; we're just speeding up the process...and these Number Keepers have it coming too. They're a villainous lot and should be shown no mercy."

"Just promise me that when all of the Number Cards are ours...my brother will be okay."

"Of course!"

The man places his hands on the Kite's shoulders reassuringly:

"As I've told you time and time again, once all the Numbers have been gathered, your brother will be cured. I assure you of this; you must believe me, Kite. Your brother's well-being means just as much to me as it does to you."

The look in the younger male's eyes said he believed otherwise...but he nonetheless took the man's words into consideration.

"...Okay."

With that, he and his robot Orbital exit the room with the man calling encouragingly,

"Keep up the good work and Happy Number-Hunting, Kite! Remember, the quicker you fetch them, the sooner we can cure your brother!"

...Once Kite was gone, the room darkens and the chair disappears, making room for a large holographic communicator to turn on, showcasing another associate of this man.

"Ah, Doctor Faker."

We see that this new face was also an older male, pale-skinned that had tightening in some regions of his face, light purple eyes, blond hair styled upward in a classic mad scientist manner, and wore a golden earring on his right ear, a black trench-coat with a high collar, a fingerless white leather glove on his right hand, white pants held by a grey belt, and black boots.

"(Digital) Tell me: What is the latest in our undertaking?"

"Well, the latest is that everything is going just as planned."

"(Digital) And what a fine plan it is. What is it they say, 'one man's trash, is another man's treasure'? Well it's true, and with that treasure we will do what we must protect our future, just as I had protected Kite and his brother once before."

"Yes, quite right, Doctor Faker."

That's when the man in the hologram reveals what he considers an amusing tabloid.

"(Digital) Lesser people of Astral World tried to stop me, by sending an envoy. _Oh yes, I know he's here_ : I knew the minute he arrived...But mark my words, his visit, will be short! I'll send him back to the pathetic little planet he calls home; he'll go back as a broken, beaten soul!"

"Hm, yes..."

Small Time Skip, Athena's POV

"I can't believe you got into an all-out smack-down at the mall and only walked away with a few bruises and a gash on your arm. How'd you even get mixed into that, anyway?"

"Hell if I know, Adam; bad luck on my part for getting too close to the barrier."

I'm finally home after dealing with the craziness at the mall, which by the way, ended with me coming on top in that fight before the cops dragged chain-boy away along with his associate, I myself just escorted out of the area by Tiffany's dad. I would then be badgered with multiple questions by he and one of his partners before they would let me go, to which Officer Quen would give me and Tiff a ride to my house in his squad car. You can imagine the reactions my brothers and gramps would have: Fierce scolding, followed by just happy that I wasn't severely hurt.

Anyway, I'm now sitting on the living room couch while Adam patches me up for my surprisingly minor injuries (including this gash on my right arm), as we, Tiffany and Terry watch the News covering Yoko's story.

 _"So as you can see from today's earlier incident at the mall, it would seem one of the assailants somehow took another hostage in addition to the family of four, a young girl. But that would turn into a big mistake on his part, when he and the girl suddenly broke into a fight before the police intervened. We've since learned that they've released the young lady without any charges, stating that she had no affiliations with the criminals, despite the one who called out some scathing threats to her person shortly before being taken into custody. More on this story as it develops..."_

Terry turns to look at me with an exasperated expression and says,

"I only wanted you to check up on Yoko, not accidentally play hero! Sheesh..."

I rolled my eyes at his complaint, and Tiffany thinks aloud with a finger under her chin,

"What I can't seem to understand is how you got involved in that mess, Addy. Did you really just sneak that close to the barrier?"

As much as I wanted to tell her the real details, I couldn't do so with my family within earshot, so I replied with a nod,

"Simple as that, Tiff: Guess I just took the wrong path to find Yoko and the next thing I knew, I was yanked into a brawl."

"And, what that one guy said to you, the one with the Mohawk, before he was taken away by the cops...Have you seen him before, back when...you know..."

 _(Flash)_

 _"Rrgh, don't think I don't know your mug now, bitch! You better watch your back, 'cause the boss is firing up the search for traitors again, and you're at the top of his list! He'll have your hide; you're a dead girl walking!"_

 _(Flash)_

Recalling the threat, I gritted my teeth while clenching my fist...before relaxing out a breath and blurt out only part of the truth to protect the people I care about.

"Might've seem his profile once or twice, but I don't know 'im personally. He was pretty hot under the collar after seeing the state of his partner, so, maybe he just saw me as someone to lash at."

 _But, if what he said was true..._

Astral then calls my attention out of my thoughts from the end of the couch as Adam moves out to put the first aid kit back into the bathroom upstairs.

"Athena. Are you not going to tell them about the Number Hunter?"

I whisper back,

"Nu-uh, not with Mister Overprotective Brother in the room. You should know by now that he doesn't wanna hear about anything related to 'Dueling Drama'."

Said subject darts his head up and looks at me suspiciously:

"What was that?"

"Gh!"

"I didn't hear the words 'Dueling Drama', did I?"

"Uh, no, of course not, Terry. That'd be stupid."

(Brrriiiiing...brrriiiiing...)

"Hm? Who could be calling me now?"

I pull out my gazer...and widen my eyes a bit at seeing Akira's name before quickly excusing myself.

"I gotta take this in another room; 'scuse me."

Bolting out of the living room and ignoring the confused stares of my brother and best friend, I decide to head upstairs into the attic so I could have more privacy.

(Ping)

"Hey, Akira..."

"(Digital) Hey, I just saw the News...You okay?"

"Yeah yeah, just a few bruises and a gash, nothing serious...But I think you and I both know what's happening."

"(Digital) Mhm...He's rising from the gutters again."

Meanwhile, in the Central City, No POV

At the same time two types of unease began to caress Athena's being, we turn our eyes to the brilliant technicolour lights making up the entertainment that is the theme park section of Heartland City Central, as people of many ages wandered the game grounds with smiles of different sizes making up their faces, oblivious to the darkening hours of the night. One little girl with long brown hair wearing a red sailor dress pauses with her parents to receive a heart-shaped balloon from one of the clowns working tonight.

"Really? For me?"

Unfortunately, the string slipped between her fingertips, and the balloon floated away...which would be seen by another familiar youth with pixie-cut light blue hair from up top the Heartland Tower, its giant red glass room shaped like the iconic organ...

A floor entrance opens automatically, giving way to the returning Kite, confirming that the younger boy is in fact his brother.

"...Hey, Kite."

"Hey, Hart. You ready to check out the fair?"

The boy, Hart, replies a bit hesitantly,

"Mm, don't think so."

Kite puts on a encouraging smile and tries to coax the younger into leaving the tower for even a little while.

"Come on. They've got games and balloons down there. You love that stuff."

Hart watches the balloon outside float higher and higher into the star-filled sky, and says with a depressed air,

"I don't remember liking games and balloons. In fact, I don't remember liking much of anything...Why can't I remember, Kite? Did something happen? Is there something wrong with me?"

Hearing the broken innocence in his younger sibling made Kite's heart clench.

"Hart, you..."

He grimaces to himself and looks away, unable to reveal a truth he knows about Hart's current condition that might very well shatter the younger's personality even further...

"Kite, I don't think I ever liked anything."

The older blond kneels down and gently grips the young boy's shoulders, vowing,

"Hart, you're wrong about that and I'm going to prove it to you."

"...You promise?"

"Yeah. I promise."

Fujina Residence

We turn back to the inside of the attic above Athena's bedroom, the girl dressed for bed in a giant light blue t-shirt that came to just above her knees, sitting with her spine against the wooden chest underneath the window, one arm hanging limp on the side of her body while the other was draped on her kneecaps.

...Her expression held no signs of someone heeding the call of sleep, however, head tilted downward to the floor with narrowed eyes shut and a serious scowl curved onto her lips as she thought of the events earlier today...

"...Athena."

She pulls out of her thoughts to meet the mismatched irises of Astral, who was floating a foot or two away from her a bit to the left.

"What's up?"

"What is up is that someone other than you and I are gathering Numbers and that is troubling."

"(Nod) Yeah, I was having similar thoughts."

"You do realize that this Hunter will eventually come looking for us. In fact, it is more than likely that he is looking for us, as, we, speak. We need some sort of plan, Athena."

There's a pause...before the girl mutters bitterly,

"I know...but my mind's a bit more focused on a second problem right now."

Astral was almost taken aback by that answer...until he remembers Athena's conversation with Akira via Duel Gazers an hour or two prior to now.

 _(Flash)_

 _"(Digital) So what are we gonna do? We know what happened last time that asshole and his boys came out to play."_

 _"I do, and there's not much we can do unless they make the first move, other than up our guard for when it comes. I'm more concerned for you, your mom and your buddies, since you all live closer to where the forest building is..."_

 _"(Digital) Don't worry 'bout us. As long as we remember the buddy system and avoid night travel when we can, we'll be fine...If anyone should be worried about anybody, it's me for you."_

 _"Why?"_

 _"(Digital) Tuh, need you even ask? That psycho almost killed you more than a year and a half ago when he and his followers attacked you, Jamal and Tiffany down near the sea port. If me and my friends hadn't been there...god, I don't even wanna think about it."_

 _"Akira...Hah, that was partly my fault for being too careless just close to a fortnight of walking out of that hellhole. I should've known he'd be comin' after me...But I'm not making that same mistake again. I'm gonna make sure I don't get caught unawares."_

 _"(Digital) Addy...Haaah, alright. You sound fairly sure of yourself, so I won't argue. Just don't hesitate to call me if anything, and I mean anything happens."_

 _"I won't. 'Night, and talk you soon."_

 _(Flash)_

"...Are you referring to the conversation you shared with that young man, Akira, and, that threat the other with the strange hair and chain yelled at you before he was taken away by the authorities?"

"I am...and that was no idle threat, Astral."

Athena looks ahead to the wall opposite of her with a burning glare, as she explains,

"That was a promise of pain, which the Fallen Stars will always guarantee. They, Trilos especially, don't take kindly to deserters, and will usually hunt them down to either force them to return, or beat them to the point where there's a fifty-fifty chance medical help will or won't save their life."

The being from beyond felt his eyes widen with shock from such a dark description.

"Uh! You mean...they would go as far as, ridding a life?"

"Mhm...They tried to do me in close to a year and a half ago, after I hung up my title. Trilos himself was there, and was the one who nearly succeeded in choking me to death."

Athena moves to sit Indian-style, placing the fingertips of her right hand delicately on the skin of her neck.

"I can still recall the feeling, of being slammed onto the wall of a nearby warehouse building, that bastard's hands tight around my throat. I couldn't feel the pain, of course...which made the sensation of my wind pipe being forced closed all the more scary. Jamal and Tiffany tried to help, but were quickly overpowered by those creep followers...If, Akira and his buddies hadn't been in the area at the time and saw what was going on...there's a good chance I wouldn't be here right now."

"...Athena..."

Shaking her head, the girl with long black hair tipped copper-red then remarks in a dry tone,

"What happened with Scorch and Chills, on top of today's incident at the mall, makes the new danger all the more clear: Trilos is on the rise again, and the main thing that'll be on his agenda is tracking down any remaining deserters of his club, to give them a thrashing no one could walk away from without at least one broken limb."

"And, you are included among such a list?"

"You got it. 'Course, mind you, he usually likes to start such hunts by sending some of his fighter monkeys to find those poor souls and unleash hell upon them. If they don't succeed, that's when he'll start participating personal-like. (Grim smirk) According to him, though, I was the freak exception to his personal rules: He wanted to be the one to end my 'pathetic, mutated existence', least I think that was the insult he used...Trilos used to make fun of my pain tolerance, refraining when I was in the ring fighting, saying that my 'little curse' was only good for dolling out pain to those who can feel what I can't."

A lone tear falls from the girl's left iris, and she brushes it away with a grit in her teeth before grumbling bitterly,

"Thinking back to those days, those words, how I agreed numbly with his judgment...It's like I'm looking at the life of a different person. A part of me refuses to believe that was me, but, it was...!"

She suddenly darts to her feet and smacks a fist on the window glass, biting back a growl as she exclaims,

"I was a blind fool!"

Astral hovers back slightly, worried by the rise of anger in the girl's being.

"Uh! Athena...!"

...She shakily removes the arm from extending to the window, and whispers a bit more calmly,

"I'm sorry. I, didn't mean to snap...I just, hate myself so much sometimes, for being so naïve and walking right into the arms of that bastard, to allow my sense of reason to drift away so carelessly..."

Turning away from the glass with a heavy sigh, Athena plops back onto the floor with a tormented expression on her face.

"I try to tell myself that these things, can happen to the best of people...but it doesn't always help keep the bad thoughts away. It also doesn't help that Trilos is still running around free on the streets and hasn't gotten his ass sent to juvenile hall. I dunno how he does it, but somehow he skirts around the cops..."

Running a hand over her face, she adds,

"It's only a matter of time before he finds me, to make me pay for 'betraying him'...There isn't much I can do about it, either: I'm not gonna be dumb and take the fight to him. I said I wasn't going anywhere near that life again, and I meant it. I can only up my guard, and be ready for when the opening blow comes...which is unfortunately all we can do with regards to that Number Hunter too."

"Huh?"

Athena meets Astral's confused eyes again, a serious yet slightly regretful expression on her face.

"We have no knowledge about this mystery duelist other than they're too gathering Numbers, which means they obviously know how to use 'em. We also know based on the state of that bat-wielding punk, the anonymous duelist has a rather cringe-worthy way of taking the Numbers away. Other than that, we've got no clue on their strategy, their motives, not even a name. It'd be stupid to try and call them out for a challenge without even a little more information...(Shakes head) No. Really, the only strategy that's sound is to be cautious and wait for them to come to us. It sucks, I know..."

The two turn their eyes to the calm darkness of the outside, as the girl finishes with a grim air,

"But I can't think of any other plan that's not any less dangerous than this one."

Time Skip

We turn our eyes to the inside of one of the Heartland Dueling Academy classrooms just before first period, as the dark-skinned youth with dreadlocks reveals some exciting information to his friends...

"Wow, really, Jamal?"

"Mhm, this place is legit! A bit close to the old district, but it's a popular hotspot to pick up some duels."

Athena smirks a bit in anticipation:

"Oh I am so there. It'd pay to have a duel or two just for fun without the drama. (Looks at Tiffany and Caswell) What about you two?"

The boy with pear-green eyes smiles apologetically and replies,

"I can't; my mother wants me to help with errands after school," while the other girl hms,

"Uuum...sure, okay. But you're buying the snacks this time."

Athena winces playfully, then remarks with a mock business-type air,

"You drive a hard bargain, Miss Quen, but I accept your deal."

Time Skip, Athena's POV

Once school let out, Jamal led me and Tiff to this area near one of the older info centers that was getting a steady rise of dueling traffic, and we'd spend the rest of the afternoon and part of the evening taking part in as many duels as we can...

Eventually, we had to call it a day and head back home, and it would just be me and Tiffany walking down one street in a scenic sort of route to our respected homes as we chatted about the battles we participated in.

"Gotta give props to Jamal: That was a sweet way to kill off the hours!"

"Heh, yeah, 'cept you did choke on a few of those duels, Addy..."

I scowl at her annoyed and retort,

"Oh gimme a break: I almost won two of those matches, and skated some ties! That's gotta count for something."

She just giggles at my exclaim, making me roll my eyes with a headshake...I was then pulled out of my minor brood, when Astral suddenly appears out of the key with a tensed air abound.

"Athena."

"Hm?"

"I sense that danger is near."

 _What? Danger?_

I follow the direction he was looking (which was the sky), as he asks me,

"Do you feel it as well?"

Frowning, I reply,

"No, nothing...You sure you're not being paranoid?"

Tiffany asks me confused,

"What's going on, Addy? Is something wrong?"

"Uh, not sure, Tiff; probably just a fluke."

 _On the other hand, there is the eminent dual target on my back thanks to two sources, but I'm not telling her that. Too dangerous._

My thoughts would then be distracted by the feeling of water droplets on my skin.

"Huh?"

"Uh oh..."

"Aw crap, really? Rain? Tch, the one time I forget my leather jacket...Come on, Tiff, we better get outta here before we get soaked."

I start the run for the nearest crosswalk on our little downtown path and begin heading over it, but had to pause halfway to wait for my gal pal to catch up.

"Tiff, step it up a little, would ya, before we both drown like rats in a sewer!"

She retorts with a puff in her cheeks and her hands covering her head,

"Do you have to use that reference every time we're caught in the-"

(Beep, beeeeeeeep)

She was cut off by the blaring sound of a truck horn, that came up on the road fast with her body right in the middle of its path!

 _NO!_

"TIFFANYYYY!"

I bolted like a madman and shoved her out of the way, leaving me to be caught in the line of impact...

...

...which never came.

"...Athena?...Athena!"

My eyes shoot awake to the sound of Astral's voice, and found myself staring at one of the eighteen wheels that should've ran me over.

"Guh!"

I shot up into a sitting position with a spooked expression, holding a hand over my racing heart to calm myself down.

"Hah, hah, hah...What the hell's goin' on?...Tiffany!"

Darting my head right, I saw my friend's form stuck frozen in a midair fall to the safety of the sidewalk, her expression reflecting fright...I let out a small breath of relief, registering she was okay, before focusing on the real issue, that being time has once again stopped.

 _Wait...Oh crap!_

That's when I heard that whistled tune, and I quickly rose to my feet to face the road heading outward, with Astral hovering close beside me as he mutters,

"...He's here."

 _The Number Hunter..._

They were a teen at least a few years younger than my brothers, with blond hair and wearing a trench-coat over white pants and black boots, along with a few duel decks strapped on with a belt. He then lets out an echoing roar, which sends a good torrent of the frozen water droplets to pelt my body. I cringe back from the impact, before I lash out some words at this creep.

"Oi, what the hell's your problem, and why do you keep making time stop?!"

"Time hasn't exactly stopped: It's just moving at one ten-thousandth of its speed. And do you know why?"

 _Tch, no, or I wouldn't have asked, dumbass._

The little robot beside him blurts out the answer:

"B-Because it's a special duel field I created!"

"Quite special. Only people with Numbers can move freely in this field...You see, that's how I know you have a Number."

We hadn't even started a duel yet, and I was already getting a bad vibe from this guy, the kind that said 'He's not worth it; bug outta here, girl!'. Apparently, I wasn't the only one either:

"Athena, we should leave this place, now...!"

"What?"

"Athena, get out of here! Run, quick!"

Given how agitated he sounded on top of the warning feeling in my gut, I prepared to do just that...just as the blond made his next move to try and prevent me from leaving.

"Hrrah!"

(Shoom)

 _Guh! A duel anchor!_

 _(Flash)_

 _I remember one time, after another one of my more grueling fist fights, I was leaving the building to head for home...Next thing I knew, I was caught under at least four red energy lines on each of my arms and limbs by some of the punks who still carried their dueling equipment back and forth from this place!_

 _"(Laugh) These anchors are a riot, ain't they? Once you're caught under 'em, you can't separate from that person until you duel 'em!"_

 _"Ooooh, so sorry, Berserker, but you didn't honestly think you'd be leaving so soon without dueling once, did you? We know you brought your duelin' stuff today..."_

 _All I could do was struggle slightly against the lines with a growl in my voice, cursing myself for not being vigilant, and for bringing my deck that day..._

 _(Flash)_

 _...No way I'm gettin' snared this time!_

Acting fast, I ducked downward in a split out of the path of the duel anchor, causing it to get caught on the antenna of the truck behind me!

...The area goes silent for a few seconds, the blond's face set in surprise for my quick reaction, which told me this must've been the first time anyone was able to dodge him, before his robo-buddy blurts out their own exclaim.

"W-What?! How did she do that?!"

Jumping back to my feet, I let out a puff of air, my expression set in a glare of disgust from this guy's method of forcing out duels.

"...I dunno where someone like you was able to get his hands on a duel anchor, but I've participated in too many matches to hate those things and the people who wield them with a passion. If that's the sort of greeting you make to every duelist you come across, then you and I have got no business with eachother."

I move over to the other side of the road opposite of Tiffany's frozen form, shooting a glance at her while sending the mental message,

 _Sorry, Tiff...but you might not see me in the next bit._

With that, I send a final glare at the creep and his robot, before turning around to dash out of the area.

Kite's POV

Sensing that this girl was going to try and escape, I shot out my duel anchor to prevent her from getting far...only for her to drop down in a split and dodge the anchor, it snaring onto the truck behind her!

 _Uh!...She's fast...This girl, was able to duck away from my duel anchor...!_

Orbital's reaction was more verbal:

"W-What?! How did she do that?!"

The girl hops back to her feet and forms the kind of glare that could send a chill down a normal person's spine, but only made me more wary of her ground.

"...I dunno where someone like you was able to get his hands on a duel anchor, but I've participated in too many matches to hate those things and the people who wield them with a passion. If that's the sort of greeting you make to every duelist you come across, then you and I have got no business with eachother."

 _She's been caught under the duel anchor before?_

 _...I have heard some street kids began selling them on the black market a few years ago, but I just assumed it was a half-baked rumour._

 _But that look...she's serious._

Next thing I knew, the girl slowly stepped over to the other side of the road, her eyes casting a short glance over at the other girl who was with her (more than likely a friend of hers), before she spins on her heel and takes off in a run from the area.

"M-Master Kite, she's getting away!"

 _Hmm...this girl's different from the other Number Keepers._

I turn to Orbital and say to him,

"Then we'll just have to make chase, now won't we? Switch to cycle mode."

"Y-You got it!"

A few seconds later, they shifted accordingly into the mode of transport that would be more than fast enough to catch up with that girl. I hopped on, and started the engine, thinking to myself with a small grin,

 _This hunt just got alot more interesting._

Small Time Skip, Astral's POV

It has been close to half an hour since Athena and I made our tactical retreat from the area where the Number Hunter was, and she had taken the lead in posing our escape route, ducking down multiple alleyways, side roads and even through a small park complex...

We pause for a moment by the building with the large, abstract neon sign so she could catch her breath, and the first thing I would hear her say after a long moment of silence between us was,

"Hah, hah, damn, everything's still moving slower than a snail out here. Just how far is that mini-mech's field range?"

"I do not know, and part of me wishes to not know...Also, since you seem to have some knowledge on the technology, can you explain to me what a duel anchor is?"

...Athena grows quiet for a minute, before she starts jogging along down a new road and replies a touch reluctantly,

"Well, like the name implies, they're these kind of snare lines used to prevent duelists from separating from one another. One acts as the anchor, the other the target. Once you get caught, you can't escape the person until you have a duel."

 _Uh! What a cruel way of assuring a battle._

"And, you have experienced these type of duels before?"

"Yeah, a couple times here and there. Not that I didn't try to struggle, but I quickly learned such actions were pointless...I had no choice but to roll with the punches."

I looked down at the girl with a pitying expression, but she just waved me off with an expression that read 'Do not worry; I am fine'.

"Anyway, as far as I know, duel anchors are suppose to only be accessible on the black market trade. They were banned by the Duel Monster Regulators about two decades or so ago thanks to so many complaints of people using them for more than just forcing out duels...'Course, that didn't stop some from using them illegally: They started showing up again a few years back in some of the shadier pockets of the cities that have a healthy level of duelists, including here in Heartland City."

"I see...Do you believe that is where the Number Hunter acquired his duel anchor?"

"Probably...but his air doesn't exactly scream criminal, so, I can't be sure..."

Just as we turn around another street corner, Athena would screech to a halt, when she sees that young man again, standing just several feet ahead of us with what appears to be the same robot from before, but in a different state made for fast transport!

"Oh crap, that didn't take him long!"

 _No, it certainly did not..._

The Number Hunter sends a mocking smirk in our direction and asks Athena,

"You didn't honestly think it was that easy to escape my eyes, did you?"

She shifts her footing into a defensive stance and retorts,

"Funny...'cause I was about to ask you if you think it's that easy to catch up with me!"

With that, she darts off into a new sprint to the other side of the road through a thin gap between two buildings, myself flying close behind her. My ears picked up on the sound of a vehicle engine starting up, telling me,

 _This new predicament is not going to go away quietly..._

...Another hour and a half would be lost to us, and sometime halfway, the Number Hunter must have called off the mysterious dueling field and allowed time to move normally for us again, which meant Athena would soon be soaked with the heavy downpour of rain that opened up from the sky earlier. Despite that, she did not slow down, merely using the slick sheet of water on the pavement to increase her speed, her lead taking us to the area of the city known as the sea port, specifically, the docks.

Once she was standing in the middle of the planked boardwalk, Athena stopped to catch her breath again, her pants a bit heavier than before.

"Hah...hah...hah...I'd like, to see that, Number Hunter, try and keep up now."

"Wish granted."

"Gah!"

Whirling around, the two of us spot him and his robot standing only a couple feet away from us!

 _This hunter is relentless...!_

...He starts his slow approach, prompting Athena to back away in similar speed, until she was trapped at the edge of the dock.

"Uh...!"

"Well, what now, girl? You have nowhere else to run, (chuckle) unless you're actually crazy enough to jump into the ocean..."

I watch with bated breath as Athena grits her teeth at the hunter...before glancing behind her for several seconds at the choppy waters with, an intent expression.

 _...No. No, she cannot really be considering...?!_

Her dry laugh told me all that I needed to, while it only confused our common enemy.

"What's so funny?"

"Just this: I am crazy enough."

"Huh?"

She sends the young man a smirk and jeers,

"You dunno what limits I'm willing to push to avoid a senseless fight. Bad weather be damned; try and swipe my Numbers now, hunter!"

 _Athena, no!_

(Leap...Splash)

But I was too late to try and protest her next move, and would lose sight of her as her body jumped backwards into the dark water behind her!

No POV

Athena dove backwards headfirst over the edge of the boardwalk into the salty onyx blue, mouth shut tight as a zip-lock bag before she opened her eyes to the sting of the H2O.

 _...Not my smartest move, but I'll take it._

 _I just hope I can reach the boardwalk supports before I'm swept away with the tide..._

Meanwhile, up above, Kite was struck silly with shock over the red-eyed teen's latest move, leaving Orbital to once again voice a verbal reaction to compensate for the two.

"Gaaaaah! S-She actually dove into the ocean in this weather?! That g-girl is insane!"

The robot wasn't the only one feeling panic settling in: Astral's irises of mismatched gold and white were wide with worry as he floated all over the dock area near where Athena jumped, searching for any signs of the girl.

"Athena!...Athena!"

 _Athena, where are you?!_

...Once the frozen feeling left his bones, the blond with slate-grey blue eyes narrows his expression with suspicion.

 _...She's not dead...I can feel it._

"Orbital. Can you still track her through the Numbers?"

"S-Sorry, Master Kite, but the storm's messing with my GPS; I can't even sense the closest L-Litterbot."

Astral pauses his frantic search when he hears the address, and turns to eye the Number Hunter with his own narrowed expression.

 _Hm? Kite?_

Said subject of inquiry sighs with annoyance but nods with some understanding, before waving the robot to follow him off the boardwalk.

"Come on, we're leaving. No use trying to search in this storm...We can find her another day."

"You m-mean, you think she's still alive, Master?"

"I do. She wouldn't have jumped off the dock if she didn't believe she'd make it..."

Pausing at the exit, Kite turns to look towards the edge of the wood panels where Athena stood a few moments ago, and sends the following message through his thoughts.

 _You may have escaped this time...but I will find you again, girl, so grip your Numbers tight while you still can._

With that, he boards the transformed form of Orbital, and drives away from the area...

...

...Two minutes later:

(Splash)

"Haaaaah!"

"Uh! Athena!"

The girl caught under the imaginary bullseye bursts out from underneath the boardwalk and leaps to grab the edge to pull herself out of the brine. Shivering from the cold and coughing slightly from a bit of water ingestion, Athena crawls up and onto the wood planks to sprawl over the surface while struggling to catch her breath.

"Hah...hah, (cough)...hah..."

 _Damn, that was too close. Any longer and I might've drowned..._

Astral immediately hovers down to her level to check her condition, relief washing through his being that she was back in his sights.

"Athena...Are you alright?"

"I'm, (cough) okay. Just had a bit of trouble staying above water under the dock...He's gone, right; I climbed up at the right time?"

"Yes, he left..."

Athena pushes herself to a shaky stand, wrapping her arms around her body to try and warm up with little success.

"Brrr, that water was freezing. I'll be lucky to not catch a cold after today...Wait. Time's moving normal again, ain't it?"

 _Which means...shit! Tiffany!_

(Brriiiiiing...brriiiiing...)

And just as she thought of her friend, the girl's duel gazer suddenly rings in accordance of an incoming call. Athena pulls it out, muttering to herself dryly,

"Good thing Adam talked me into getting those waterproof duel equipment and deck cases..."

(Beep)

"(Digital) Addy! Finally, you answer! Where are you?!"

"Whoa whoa, easy, Tiff, easy!"

"(Digital) Easy? Easy?! How can you expect me to ease myself when I find my bestie no longer beside me after saving my life from that incoming truck?! I thought you got run over!"

Flinching a bit from the high-pitched anxiety in Tiffany's voice, the girl with shaggy black hair tipped copper red now coated with salty brine works to try and calm the former down.

"Okay, first of all, breathe before you hyperventilate. Second, I'm really sorry I scared the crap out of you with my, uh, Houdini act, but it wasn't really something I could avoid."

"(Digital) Really, do explain why."

Still hesitant in telling anyone about the Number Hunter, Athena decided to at least come clean about another problem she's facing and uses them as a cover for her current predicament...

"(Digital) Oh my go-So those creeps from that club chased you all the way to the sea port?! Are you okay; should I call Dad?!"

Moving to sit down on an old bus bench on a side road connecting to the highway leading out of the sea port area, the girl with red irises holds a hand out in a calming gesture to the panicking girl with blue irises and bobbed black hair that looked to be flattening from the rain on the digital screen.

"Tiff, Tiff, breathe! Remember to breathe!...And no, I'm fine; they bolted after I dived into the ocean to escape. They never got the chance to beat the crap outta me."

"(Digital) Haaaah, okay...I still can't believe you actually jumped into the ocean. That's crazy even for you, Addy."

"Heh, yeah, I know. I scared myself the second my head met the blue."

"(Digital) I also feel sorry for Astral, poor guy. You must've nearly given him a heart attack."

Athena glances over at said being, who was looking back at her with a mixed expression of his usual calm curiousity and minor anxiety still shining in his irises, before she nods in confirmation to her friend on her duel gazer screen.

"Yeah..."

"(Digital) So, how are you gonna get home? You're kind-a way far from the nieghbourhood now..."

"(Wince) Ooo, that's a good question. I'd call home, but I kind-a wanna wait until I'm in the house before I get the three-way shout of 'Where the heck have you been?'."

"(Digital) True, true, and I don't think they wanna see you coming home in a squad car, again."

The girls laugh a little at the thought...just when a new roar of an engine settles a few feet in front of Athena, prompting her to look up, and widen her eyes in surprise at seeing,

"Uh! Shark?!"

"(Digital) Huh? Shark? Seriously; he's like, there now?"

Said boy with the cerulean irises pushes up the cover of his duel runner helmet to reveal his confused face to the other.

"Addy? It is you...What the hell are you doin' out here in this crap weather?"

Moving to stand up, said girl casually walks over with a shiver in her step from the cold temperatures and replies,

"Uh, long story, but to make it short, I was bein' chased by some shady characters and just lost 'em here."

 _Not a complete lie, but no way am I endangering Shark with that Number Hunter either._

"I see...Do you need a ride home?"

"You offering?"

"Wouldn't be askin'."

"Um, sure, if you don't mind. (Looks at her gazer) I'll call you back as soon as I get home, 'kay, Tiff?"

Said girl with bobbed black hair nods with a small smile:

"(Digital) Okay. Safe travel, Addy, and nice to see you again, Shark."

(Ping)

As Athena puts her duel gazer back in its case, Shark gets off the driver seat and walks to the compartment at the rear to pull out another helmet.

"Luckily for you, I always remember to store an extra helmet. Gimme your bag and I'll put it in here."

"Here."

"Thanks. (Wince) Geez, this thing's as soaked as you are."

"Quite aware of that, thanks. Makes me more glad it's made of waterproof material, well, the inner lining at least..."

Once they were ready, the two teens would settle onto the runner with Shark at the front and Athena sitting behind him gripping his torso so she stayed steady.

"Ready?"

"Fire away."

(Vrro-vroooooommmmm...)

Time Skip, Athena's POV

Just as I had predicted, I got that three-tine scolding from my bros and gramps for arriving home late on top of being soaked to the bone...But as soon as I told them about what happened at the crosswalk as well as being assaulted by some unsavory characters (once again using discrete words to avoid telling the whole truth) and my last-minute means of escape, they calmed down somewhat and opted for being anxious over my condition.

They also thanked Shark for giving me a ride home, and given how late it was by the time we parked in front of the garage, gramps offered him the couch for the night so he wasn't navigating through the dark stormy weather to get back to his own place. Said boy was a bit hesitant to accept at first, but one glance between the thundering clouds and the warm interior of my house convinced him to be smart and stay over until the next morning.

One well-deserved shower and a confirmation call to Tiffany later, I was out like a light in my bed...

And for the first time in a long while, I actually slept in a few hours into the next morning 'til about close to nine, which had me thanking the lord it was the start of the long weekend.

 _Guess yesterday wore me out in more ways than one..._

Once I was awake and got dressed in one of my jogging outfits (the green halter top and leggings with black bordering, and my white runners), I would make my way downstairs while finishing up my high ponytail, only to meet up with Shark in the living room, who was wearing a pair of black sweatpants and a matching t-shirt Terry lent him for the night.

"Hey. Nice marathon equipment."

"And good morning to you too. Sleep alright?"

"Yeah, once the storm finally died off close to eleven...How 'bout you?"

"Like a log...Actually, I haven't slept that deep and this late for a while."

He raised a brow at me:

"Nine in the morning's late for you?"

"Mhm. I'm one of those early birds that's usually up just after the crack of dawn."

That caused his blue irises to widen considerably with surprise, making me laugh silently behind my hand, before I headed into the kitchen for some breakfast, he trailing behind me not a minute or two after. By no surprise to me, gramps was already up and having what I'm assuming is his second cup of coffee while reading the world news rather than the local.

"Ah, Athena, you're up."

"Heh, mornin, grandpa. Yeah, I finally caught a snooze day."

I glance over at the counter and saw a telltale bowl of batter and the waffle maker out for action, along with a few eggs and peppers.

"That all for breakfast this morning?"

"Correct."

"Alright...I got it."

About twenty minutes later, I cooked up some golden-brown goodness shaped like flat beehives and three egg omelets for myself, gramps and Shark, and we'd be eating together with a comfortable silence between us, if a bit odder with a guest present...Once we were done and the dishes were washed, I'd gather up my water bottle and a few protein bars before heading out the door for my routine morning run, waving goodbye to Shark as he boarded his duel runner to drive the opposite way of me, he sending a wave back. It didn't matter to me that we didn't talk much last night or this morning; it was just cool enough to have him over in a more casual air this time.

...Anyway, it's reaching close to eleven in the morning now, and I'm bounding down a quieter hill of the further corners of my neighbourhood back home from my workout route, just as Astral finally makes his appearance out of the key after retreating inside with no real warning as soon as we returned to my house last night.

Pausing at the bottom by a patch of wild grass and flowers growing in a sidewalk, I shuck off my headphones to hang off my neck (decided not to use my earbud-styled ones this time) and smiled slightly at seeing his face.

"Hey, look who finally came out. I was a bit concerned you'd be playing recluse today..."

...He doesn't respond to my dry joke, instead choosing to stare at me with an expression that may have seemed blank to the untrained eye, but was really one that left me a bit uneasy.

"...Um, Astral, are you okay?"

"Athena...why did you make such a reckless decision yesterday?"

 _Hoh boy. I was afraid he'd ask me something along those lines..._

Sucking in a calming breath, I reply with a serious expression,

"Because that creep hunter left me little options: Like I said similarly, I wasn't gonna allow him to trap me in a corner with that anchor."

"But was jumping into those crashing waves truly a smart move?"

"No, but what did you expect me to do, pull a jackrabbit and hop over him and that robot?! I don't have superhuman abilities that high, Astral!"

"Your life could've been lost!"

I was taken aback by his shout, and watched with widened eyes he grits his teeth while looking down with a grimace, one of hands clenched into a fist.

"...As much as I appreciate your dedication to protect the Numbers, I...I don't want it to go so far, that you would forget your own safety."

That's when I realized,

 _...Oh god. He really was worried for me, still is._

A sad smile curves onto my face, and I approach the boy from beyond before hovering my hand over his in my own way of comforting the intangible being.

"Astral...I'm, sorry. I didn't know that my action freaked you out that badly...but please, don't dwell on the thought. Just focus on the positive: I'm fine, you're fine, our Numbers are safe for a while longer..."

He looks up at me with a bit of surprise for my gentleness, and I smirk lightly while chiding causally,

"Besides, I would've thought you'd be used to my reckless behaviour by now."

That sparked a slight flash of annoyance to reflect on his face, followed by an amused puff of air to pass through his lips before he replies,

"Fair point...You are quite a rebellious young girl and ignore danger easily."

I watch as his hand hover-wraps around mine, acting as if it was squeezing the other, making a part of my heart wish desperately that we could truly touch one another...Astral then adds in a whisper,

"Which has me a bit envious of you. I wish I had some of your obliviousness to danger."

 _Astral..._

Time Skip, No POV

The day would pass by slow and steady with little activity for the girl with red irises to have adamant attention to, other than attending to some of her schoolwork...

We now zoom in the downtown area, as she, now wearing her hair in a plait, dressed in a dark blue tank-top under her signature black leather jacket, a knee-length yellow/black-checkered plaid skirt with a pair of black suspenders hanging off her hips, knee-high black socks and her black sneakers with the red laces, wandered around the streets with Astral at her side as they talked about somewhat lighter topics.

"Really? So it was your brothers who taught you how to duel?"

"Yeah, or at least they took over the teaching when Dad was busy. They were the ones who ran over the basics for tag duels and basic combos...Actually, come to think of it, it was Terry who taught me a bit more than Adam did."

"Hm...and yet he has been discouraging you from dueling nowadays."

Athena's face contorts into a sad frown:

"Mhm...I'm fairly sure it's to due with what happened two years ago: My kidnapping...how I dealt with the aftermath...He probably felt like he lost me in a way, and doesn't want to again, which is why he's playing overprotective, or in these recent weeks, acting like I don't exist."

"I am sure the latter is not true. Your brother cares about you very much."

A bitter smile forms on the girl's lips as she replies,

"I wish I can believe that, Astral, I really do...but his reactions keep telling me otherwise. Anyway, much as Terry's being a bit of an asshat right now, I still love him and Adam for what they've done to be there for me. Still do, and always will."

Astral frowns slightly at the expression and tone in Athena's voice, but chose not to comment...

The silence between the two would then be cut off, by the sound of ruckus laughter heading their way from around the next corner a couple feet away from them. Athena froze, recognizing the voices:

 _Oh, crap!_

"Athena? What's wrong?"

She doesn't answer the being beside her, opting instead to move into a defensive stance in preparedness for the six new faces that would appear, all males in their mid-to-late teens, wearing the clothing of stereotypical street punks, and carrying an assortment of blunt object weapons, from baseball bats to lead pipes and even a long chain!

 _They're from the Fallen Stars, or at least four of them I remember. The other two look like newer recruits._

The sextet quickly acknowledge her presence, leering and grinning at her menacingly.

"Hey, lookie who we finally ran into!"

"If it ain't the boss's number one traitor!"

"The freak that don't feel a thing!"

One of the six young men, he having olive skin with scars on his right arm while the left occupied a viper tattoo, coal brown eyes, buzz-cut black hair, and wore a ripped white tank-top with baggy gray jeans held up by one suspender, and black worker boots, steps up front to address Athena.

"Tuh, so this is what the great Berserker's become, eh? Not much to look at: You look more green then you were back when."

Said girl grits her teeth before asking,

"What do you jerks want?"

"Think the answer's pretty obvious: _Your hide_. As you well know, Trilos don't like letting his best fighters just ditch the club like it's the downtown gym. He wants us to bring your sorry ass back so he can dish to you a personal punishment."

The boy's grin grows darker as he adds,

"'Course, he didn't say anythin' against roughin' you up some beforehand..."

Astral felt a shiver run down his spine from his tone and the chuckles that passed through the other five.

 _Oh, this is not good..._

Athena on the other hand, was more than annoyed by this sextet of troublemakers.

"Well sorry to disappoint you scumbags, but I'm not in the mood for an unfair fight of one against six. If that psycho wants to deal me back so bad, he should quit hiding behind poser tough guys like you and call me out for a one on one fight like a real man."

"W-Why you-!"

The teen with the viper tattoo suddenly lunges forward and tries to take a swing at the girl with red irises, to which she'd easily see coming and dart to one side before twisting his offensive arm behind him and kicking him down to the pavement in his spine!

"Gah!"

Brushing herself off, Athena's attention would whirl back to the other five, who slowly grew angered expressions on their faces.

 _Damn. Normally, I'd be fine in a one against some fight, but six is too many._

 _Got no choice: I gotta make a break for it!_

With that decided, the girl pivots all the way around behind her and starts running for her life, with the group of punks chasing her after two help the one with the tattooed arm off the ground...

Soon, we approach the start of evening, the sun just beginning to lower and casting a pale yellow over the blue sky, and by this time, Athena had made her way to the Monorail Station while sending an SOS text through her duel gazer to Akira for some backup. Now, she was busy catching her breath while squatting behind some nearby bushes, her body now littered in fresh-blooming bruises and scrapes from a few unfortunate pauses she was forced to make which costed her a beating.

"Hah, hah, hah, hah..."

 _This is bad, really bad. It's gonna be at least a few hours until these clowns give up, and about forty-five minutes before Akira can reach here._

 _I was lucky to dodge into this bush...but it won't fool them for long._

"Athena?"

She darts her head up to see Astral hovering near her with a concerned expression on his face.

"Are you alright?"

She nods, and makes a few silent gestures that asked 'Are they still there?'. The being from beyond didn't quite understand at first, until he looked over to where the six street punks were skulking around, and his eyes widen slightly in understanding before turning back to Athena to nod his head, confirming that danger was still present. The girl hisses a curse, and stays in her place behind the green...A little while later, she feels her gazer vibrate, and pulls it out to see a text from Akira.

 **I managed to snag an express route from my district. Which end of the station are you at?**

She texts back,

 **I'm squatting behind the bushes near that pole sign that says A-11. Be careful; they're nearby.**

Athena tucks her gazer away, and peers out to the main courtyard to wait for the familiar face...A few minutes later, she sees Akira's form emerge from the shadows of the ticket booth. Getting a closer look, we see that he was at least three years older than herself, taller and with a light brown complexion making up his partly lanky frame, short black hair that came to above his shoulders in beach waves, and wore an outfit comprised of a dark grey t-shirt, blue jeans with some wear at the pant leg ends, and white sneakers.

His aqua irises peer over to distant-lock with her red ones, and they both nod to one another, before enacting the plan they talked over via text-message beforehand. First, they darted out from their hiding spots, and bolted out into the open courtyard to draw the attention of the six punks who were hunting the younger girl.

"Huh?!" "Ay!"

"There she is!" "And another one of them traitors; I recognize him!"

"Get 'em!"

The girl and boy shifted positions so they were running beside one another, and panted,

"Hah, you take three, I take the others?"

"Hah, hah, sounds good. Gotta get to the ponds first!"

By that, Akira was referring to an area none too far away from the public-thick courtyard, that held the artificial pond built beside the old information center that he and Athena have wandered around many times before...

Once both parties arrived, the two chased whirled around with their firsts raised at ready back-to-back, just as the six chasers moved to circle them in.

"(Laugh) What a dumbass move, lurin' us to where you can't get help!"

"You two are sooo dead!"

"Us? Please. If anything, you creeps are gonna be praying for medical."

The sextet raise their brows in confusion from Akira's calm retort, he smirking slightly before glancing at Athena.

"Ready?"

"Always."

With that, the real fight began, two against six.

"Haaaaaah!"

"Hrrrrrraaaaaah!"

(Whack, wham, thwock...)

...The battle would be over in but a short ten minutes, the victors being Athena and Akira, whom despite the injuries they took from flying fists, bats, pipes and chains, were able to overcome their opponents, they sprawled on the ground three on each side with more bruises littering their bodies than their victims, moaning in and out of consciousness in pain...

"Ha! That wasn't too hard."

"Yeah, no kidding...Thanks for coming to help; I know you hate getting involved in this sort-a crap more than I do."

"Hey, forget about it. Just glad to make sure you're still ali-Huh? What's that?"

Athena turns to follow Akira's suspicious gaze...

(Whip)

"Gah!"

Only for her left wrist to get caught by a duel anchor just two seconds after!

"Addy!"

But before Akira could try and lend a hand:

(FLASH)

His body freezes halfway into the pivot, along with everything else relying on time to move...!

"Grh, Akira!"

 _He's frozen...No. Time's moving stupid-slow again..._

 _Which means-_

Her ears pick up on the tell-tale whistling that ominous tune, and focuses up front to see the Number Hunter, Kite, slowly approach from the cover of some nearby trees, Orbital by his side, while holding his hand that shot the duel anchor out, a smug grin on his face. Astral tenses considerably upon their arrival:

 _Gh! It's him...I was hoping it would be a while longer before we would see the hunter again._

Athena's reaction was more verbal and angered than his was:

"Damn it, not you again!"

"(Chuckle) Nice to see you too. I was watching you the whole time you were being chased by those punks...You're not half-bad a street fighter, which only has me all the more curious how much of a fight you'll put in our duel."

He retracts the anchor, adding,

"Which you of course have no choice but to participate in now, since I managed to snare you with the duel anchor this time."

"(Growl) Damn you...!"

Kite's smile only grew slightly at seeing the anger burning in Athena's eyes.

"Save your cursing for when we start the match."

"Tch, whatever. Another fight isn't a problem for me. I'll take you on, Number Hunter!"

Astral replies to her,

"Good attitude, Athena. We must be fearless."

"Fearless? Didn't you make it clear last time that we should keep our distance from him?"

"That was when you had the option to run, Athena."

Hearing the drop of tone in his voice, Athena hms and mutters,

"Well aren't we confident..."

"Get ready, Athena: This duel we're about to have, is not just for fun and games. The stakes have never been higher."

"Oh yeah? Well luckily I live for high stake situations! Let's cut the chatter and get 'er started!"

With that, the girl with red irises throws out her duel disk to attach to her arm, and clicks her gazer into place while adding with a smirk of anticipation,

"Time to add a new page to history!" Kite in turn retorts,

"Ha, oh yeah? Well that page will have your name under casualty!"

He then activates his own brand of duel preparation, causing Athena to bug her eyes and blurt,

"What the hell?!"

"Go, Photon Transformation!"

 **Augmented Reality Vision Link Established.**

"There is no escape now, my little friend! You and your Number will be hunted down!"

"Keep dreaming!"

"(Both duelists) Now let's duel!"

Kite would take the opening turn for this intensified match:

"Allow me to go first, won't you? I draw! First, I activate the Spell Card, Photon Veil from my hand! With this card, by returning three Light-Attribute Monsters from my hand to my deck, I can then add three Light-Attribute Monsters from my deck to my hand."

Athena curses,

"Shoot. And I have a sick feeling he can choose which monsters..."

"Next, I'm gonna activate the power of the Spell, Photon Lead, which lets me summon one of the monsters I just added to my hand in Attack Mode. And the monster I summon, is Daybreaker!"

The said monster that appears on Kite's side of the dueling field, had the appearance of a futuristic white knight with a red cape and long sword, Level Four and with 1700 Attack Points...

"But there's more: When this card is successfully summoned, I can summon another one from my hand!"

A second Daybreaker rises to join the first one...

"So that's two Daybreakers, and then the second one's ability activates...so welcome to the field, Daybreaker number three!"

Athena exclaims,

"Holy-Three monsters summoned in a connected ability...!"

Astral notes,

"Oh no, and each one of them shares the same Level of Four."

"...Ugh, don't tell me: One of _those_ is coming next, ain't it?"

Kite's next move answers her question with no hesitation:

"I overlay my three Level Four Daybreakers, to build the Overlay Network!"

Three streams of yellow twirl and intertwine as they dove into the summoning vortex...

"I XYZ Summon, Number 10: Illumiknight!"

And the Number Monster that came to occupy the space, had the guise of a silver-armoured knight on horseback with a lance at ready, Rank Four and with 2400 Attack Points! Astral and Athena were quite shocked to seeing a Number this early in a match:

"Oh my...!"

"Christ, he summoned a Number on his first turn?!"

"That's right, and guess what? I'm still not done, 'cause now, I'm playing Illumiknight's ability! With it, once per turn, I can use an overlay unit to discard one card from my hand, and draw one new card from my deck! Then Light Serpent's special ability activates: You see, when Light Serpent is sent to the Graveyard from my hand, it's then summoned to the field."

At that, a large snake with icy blue scales slithers onto the field, Level Three with 1200 Attack Points...

"Next I'll bring out the monster, Plasma Ball!"

This one was also a Level Three, but with 900 Attack Points, and had the appearance of an iron sphere with one red eye in the middle while sparking electricity. Athena remarks,

"Another round of three monsters? Seriously, does this guy not know the meaning of slow and steady? If he keeps this up, this duel will take longer than either of us need to be...Or, maybe..."

She looks over at Astral, who mutters,

"I fear, not at this rate."

"I now overlay Light Serpent, and Plasma Ball! And with that, I can once again build the Overlay Network! I XYZ Summon, Number 20: Giga-Brilliant!"

This next Number Monster had the appearance of a colossal flying ant, Rank Three with 1800 Attack Points...

"Ooooh crap..."

"He summoned two Numbers in just one turn!"

Kite grins and mutters,

" _Now, the hunt truly begins._ "


	14. Beasts of Burden & Destruction

_Ha, thanks Life: Love it when you give me back-to-back problems to deal with._

 _Wasn't it bad enough that I've been bruised like an apple by those freaks from my old life comin' back with a vengeance?_

 _Now I gotta immediately dive headfirst into another fight with this 'Number Hunter'._

 _...Sure, offer me no break between._

Those were the irritated-toned thoughts bouncing around the walls of Athena's mind as she does her best to stay brave in wake of the two Number Monsters, Illumiknight and Giga-Brilliant, that were now occupying her opponent's side of the field.

"Why does it feel like each incoming duel involving Numbers ends up being twice as difficult as the last one? Still, to summon two in one turn...that was fast. (Narrows eyes) Too fast."

 _Somethin's screwy about this Kite guy's game._

Meanwhile, Astral was more concerned about Kite's skills as a duelist.

 _Whoever this fellow is, he is certainly a force to be reckoned with._

 _Especially since even though he craves these Number Cards, he is not under their dark influence._

"And now I end my turn."

The Orbital robot cheers for his master:

"What a move, ending your turn! Right on!"

"That's not a move, gear-head."

"O-Oh, sorry, my bad."

The girl with red irises tches between clenched teeth before making her opening move.

"About time he finished up...I Draw! (Peers at the card) Gogogo Golem, huh? Alright, that'll do for a start."

 _With his ability, he'll be able to withstand two attacks in Defense Mode..._

She looks to Astral, who nods in agreement to the hinted plan, before Athena calls out,

"I place a monster face-down in Defense Mode and end my turn."

Kite jeers back,

"Really? That's it? Fine! (Draws a card) It's my turn again, and first, I'm going to do this: Use Illumiknight's ability."

One of the XYZ Monster's light orbs bounces onto their lance...

"Now, by using an Overlay Unit and discarding a card, I, can draw a card!"

He glances up at the card he just drew, and grins.

"Alright then. Now I play Giga-Brilliant's ability: By using one overlay unit, Giga-Brilliant gains 300 Attack Points!"

The Rank Three monster's power rises to 2100...

"And now, Giga-Brillant, attack: Take out Athena's face-down monster!"

On that note, said girl's golem flips face-up to display their 1500 Defense Points, before raising its arms to block the charging Number, throwing it back some and maintaining its stance. Athena smirks and says in a mocking manner,

"Oh, _so sorry_ , but Golem's got an ability that allows it to survive once per turn while in Defense Mode."

Kite's own smirk doesn't falter:

"Well then, I guess it's a very good thing that, I have plenty more attacks where that came from! Go, Illumiknight: Attack with Shimmering Sword Slash!"

This time, Gogogo Golem would not survive, and was cut down in two by the XYZ Monster's lance...Athena curses under her breath and mutters dryly,

"Well, so much for that, but I expected this would happen since he had two monsters to gang up on my one...What now?"

Astral replies,

"Now you relax: There are no other monsters on his field he can attack you with."

"True. I'm safe, least for the time being..."

Catching the one end of the conversation, Kite asks with a small, smug grin forming on his lips,

"Is that what you think? Hmph, you're a very long way from being safe."

Narrowing her red irises into a glare, Athena replies,

"Trust me, hunter, I'm well aware...but that's not gonna stop you from showing me more reasons to not feel safe, is it?"

He nods, before calling his next play:

"You catch on quick. I tribute Giga-Brilliant and Illumiknight; goodbye, you two! And...hello!"

Astral was a bit confused by the battlefield change, expecting the Numbers to stick around longer.

"Hello?"

His human partner, meanwhile, was getting increasingly annoyed by Kite's attempts to use suspense to scare his opponent.

"Oh spare me. What big bad monster are you bringin' out now?"

"Here. Why don't you simply see for yourself?"

Just a second after he sets the card onto his dueling disk, a strange, dark red, pendulum-like cross shape manifests on the duelist's right. All this did was make Athena's brow raise:

"Uh-huh, and that's suppose to scare me because...?"

A chuckle billows out of Kite's throat, before he grabs hold of the odd object and tosses it into the air above him. A flurry of starry pixels stream to meet the airborne shape, forming into that same dangerous-looking dragon monster he used against the punk at the mall a few days ago!

"...Ok-aaay, that'll do it; you've got my attention now."

"Say hello to Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon!"

Getting a better look at this upright-standing lizard, we see that their wings were made from what looked to be neon-glowing points (seven for each side), their skin coal black with intracite glowing-white designs over parts of its hide, a central jewel on its upper torso, and a three-tine tipped tail. They were also considerably strong, Level Eight and packing a whopping 3000 Attack Points!

"Get ready to meet defeat, 'cause my Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon is ready to seek and destroy!"

Athena gulps ever-so slightly and hisses,

"Geez, and I thought some of the Numbers looked dangerous...!"

Meanwhile, Astral felt a beat of familiarity pass through his mind as he took in the image of the new beast on the field.

 _I know this creature!_

"I end my turn; make your move."

Athena questions to herself,

"But what move can I make? If I've got my head on right, Utopia may be the only one in my deck that's got a fair chance against that dragon. And the only way I can summon him out is by overlaying two Level Fours...Well, no sense in delaying! My Draw! First I summon, Gagaga Magician!"

Said Level Four spellcaster appears in front of the girl, who was just getting started on her latest play.

"Next, I activate from my hand, Monster Slots! With this Spell, by banishing a monster in my Graveyard the same level as my magician, I get to draw a new card from my deck. If it matches Gagaga's level, then I can summon them to the field!"

 _Please, luck of the draw: Be with me!_

"Ha!"

(Swipe)

Athena looks down at her new card, and breaks out a small grin.

"Yes! That's what I'm talkin' about! I'm still in this...I summon forth Ganbara Knight!"

The knight with shields on both its arms jumps down beside the magician...

"I now overlay both Level Four Gagaga Magician and Ganbara Knight! Do your thing, you guys!"

The two monsters nod to her, before manifesting into dark purple and gold yellow streams of light respectively, twisting together and diving into the vortex below...

"I XYZ Summon, Number 39: Utopia!"

The Rank Four monster with the appearance of a warrior angel rises to greet the open air of the AR field, and Athena smiles slightly at them before chiding,

"Good to see you again, big guy. Do your best."

Kite himself chose to grin in anticipation at seeing the girl's signature Number Card before his eyes.

"Ah, the Number has finally appeared."

...At the same time this battle was underway, we turn back to the inside of Heartland City Tower, where the man wearing the green suit and dressy glasses was speaking with Doctor Faker again, proposing a new idea he's come up with to help in their goals involving the Numbers and Astral World...

"So Doctor Faker: What do you think of my plan?"

The man with the upright blond hair grins and replies,

"(Digital) A World Duel Carnival is perfect!"

"I'm so pleased you approve! I'll get to work arranging for the tournament at once. I'll see to it that all the finest duelists in Heartland are there, and of course, more duelists from around the world, duelists with Numbers."

Doctor Faker rubs a hand under his chin in thought:

"(Digital) Quite right."

"Naturally, Kite will participate...and when he wins the tournament, all of those wonderful Number Cards will belong to us!"

"(Digital) Yes, but, what if Kite should lose? (Points forward) What happens then, Mister Heartland? We should leave nothing to chance, for these Number Cards are of the upmost importance."

The other man, now identified as Mister Heartland, replies with a reassuring tone,

"There is no need to worry, sir: Kite won't lose. After all, his deck is simply unbeatable. Our knowledge of the other world has seen to that."

...We make the switch of viewpoints to where Doctor Faker was residing, they being some sort of an underground, high-tech laboratory.

"Yes, a valid point...Very well then: It's settled! Schedule this so-called carnival as soon as possible."

With that, he and Mister Heartland end their holographic call...The man then moves to exit to another room with laugh while saying to himself,

"And the sooner the better, for I have a great many Sphere Field experiments to run."

On the other side of the door, we see that he was gazing fondly at a gigantic, pale-gold electrical sphere being held stable between two machine tips...!

"And this carnival of duels will be the perfect place to run them, because with this sphere, I can draw out a Number's power, and then by using that power...!"

He cuts himself off with a maniacal laugh...just as we turn our eyes on the young boy Hart, who was once again being used to direct energy balls of trash to attack Astral World. For a moment, it looked like his body was starting to take its toll from the pressure these power releases were creating...

...But as soon as he felt the blasts connect with the distant galaxy, the other half of his damaged personality rose, and he giggled uncontrollably before muttering,

"Yes, it's all working...It's working, yes! The energy, is flowing!"

He gets ready to release another wave of his power, which in turn would cause some power spikes in that sphere of energy that Doctor Faker was currently attending to.

"Well done, Hart! Make Astral World pay; make them pay with your power!"

Astral's POV

"Mmh!"

 _Huh? What was, that?_

Just after Athena had summoned Utopia, I felt this strange sting of pain run through my veins. It only lasted for a second, but...it made me feel uneasy, in similar ways to the feelings that rose when I saw the memories inside Volcasaurus and Freezerdon...

I would have little time to ponder on the notion, however, when my human partner comments on our current situation.

"Okay, good news, we've got a strong monster out. Bad news, there's a 500 point difference between them and that dragon...Still, I'm gonna attack anyway."

I turned to stare at Athena with shock for such a reckless idea:

"Are you mad?!"

"Maybe, maybe not, but questions about my mentality haven't stopped me before. (Small smirk) Let's see if I can pull off the bold. I now activate the Spell Card, Blustering Winds! Thanks to this baby, Utopia gains 1000 Attack and Defense Points until the end of this turn!"

I watch as Utopia's attack power rose to 3500, making me feel a bit more assured that the girl knew what she was doing.

"Ha, and just like that, Utopia's the strongest monster on the field!"

"Perhaps. Well why don't we go ahead and battle and find out?"

 _Mm, I don't like the tone the hunter is using..._

Athena seemed to sense it as well, for her smirk dropped and was replaced with a wary frown.

"Hm...Well since you're begging for one, I'll oblige! Strike the dragon down, Utopia!"

Our Number summons his golden blade...

"This is not going to be a pleasant sight."

"That, I can agree with you on. I won't judge ya if you need to shield your eyes."

"Not a pleasant sight, for you!"

That took Athena and I both aback:

 _What?!_

"Come again?!"

"You underestimated my dragon's power, and now you'll pay the price! You see, when Galaxy-Eyes battles your monster, both of our monsters are banished!"

And just when Utopia's blade makes contact with the head of the dragon...both monsters vanish in a cluster of pixels!

 _Oh no!_

"Utopia!"

"Your attempt to attack me failed miserably. So what's your next move?"

"Gh! I...end my turn."

The hunter, Kite, does not wait to get the jump on his next turn:

"I was hoping you'd say that, 'cause now, Galaxy-Eyes's ability continues, and the monsters that were banished from play, return to the field!"

I was quite shocked to learn that our main monster wasn't in fact destroyed...yet, something did not feel right.

 _There's much more to this dragon's ability. Utopia could not have been brought back on good terms..._

Athena seemed to think similarly, if a little relieved to see the Number was 'okay'.

"Utopia! You're, still aliv-Wait...No. Something's wrong, really wrong. (Glare) You brought them back in your favour, didn't you?"

"Good guess. You're a bit smarter than I previously thought. If the monster that was banished from play with Galaxy-Eyes was an XYZ Monster, Galaxy-Eyes absorbs that monster's overlay units, and gains 500 Attack Points for each one!"

Hearing that made me very close to sputtering out one of the curses I've heard Athena use, but I managed to hold back, instead opting to exclaim with worry,

"Oh no!"

She meanwhile, did not hold back:

"Shit! Utopia's been sapped of his Overlay Units?!"

"Indeed he has, and if you do the math, Galaxy-Eyes gains 1000 Attack Points!"

And just like that, the dragon's power rose to,

"4000 Attack Points...!"

"Crap. That's enough to wipe me out in one shot..."

That was when the robot following the Number Hunter suddenly adds,

"T-That's right, and then your Number Card and your s-soul will go bye-bye!"

 _Her, soul?_

Athena was just as confused and wary as I was:

"What're you saying? Is...that what happened to the punk at the mall a few days ago? He became an old man because he lost his soul?"

Kite meanwhile, was quite displeased that his follower revealed such information.

"Grh, you tin-twit: I've already got this kid on the ropes and you bring that up?! What is wrong with you?!"

"S-Sorry! Won't happen aga-gain!"

My partner of course, would not allow the subject to be dropped:

"What did they mean about the soul vanishing with a Number? Explain yourself, now!"

The Number Hunter seemed slightly taken aback by the stern tone in Athena's voice, but smiled darkly before obliging.

"I suppose there's no point keeping it a secret now, so okay. My method for taking a Number is somewhat, forceful...So forceful in fact that when I take it, that individual's soul, is taken as well!"

 _Uh! No! So, that would mean...if Athena loses..._

"Taken how? What happens to the soul?"

"Don't know, and come to think of it, I really don't care."

"What?! You bastard; how can you not care about taking another's life away?!"

I cut in to steer the girl back to the true dilemma:

"Nevermind him, Athena. It is you that should care, otherwise we are both done for."

"Mph!...Right...Okay, currently, I don't have a way to overcome that dragon, so for now, I place one card face-down and end my turn!"

I could sense that particular surge of anger at how nonchalantly Kite dismissed his methods of extracting a Number was one that would not die quickly for the girl beside me, which meant either she will fight much more seriously than before, or there's a chance her emotions could blind her from making the correct play...

Our opponent moves the duel along with his next turn:

"Alright then, it's my move. Now, Galaxy-Eyes, let her have it: Photon Stream of Destruction!"

The dragon monster charges up, before releasing a torrent of star-like energy to blast against Utopia, who thankfully was able to withstand and remain on the field...

"Even though only a Number can destroy a Number, you're still gonna take damage!"

Athena held her ground, shielding her face with her arm as her Life Points dropped to 2500...But he was far from done.

"Next I'm gonna play this, the Spell Card, Photon Wind! And it'll be knocking the wind out of you, because when I deal damage without destroying your monster, you take an additional 1000 points of damage!"

In the time it took the billowing rings of power to hit our bodies, I realize aloud,

"Sooo, he was planning on not destroying Athena's Number Card!"

This time, we were both thrown back, as her Life Points drop further to settle at 1500...

"And that's not all my Photon Wind lets me do. Now I get to draw a card, and then I'll place one face-down. With that, I end my turn."

As I struggle to rise to my feet, I froze halfway at a kneel, when I notice my body was beginning to fade in and out of this world once again.

 _This is bad..._

I hear Athena call to me with worry, and I mutter,

"As your Life Points diminish, my Life Force does with it."

I then hear the hunter mock our (or in his view, Athena's) situation:

"I have you right in the palm of my hand. Can you feel the crush of defeat closing in?"

Rising to her feet with only the slightest falter in her step, the girl retorts bravely with a smirk,

"No, but I'm definitely feeling the weight of your ego, so knock it off."

That wasn't what the other human expected, and he formed a frown while his robotic companion shouted bristly,

"Rrrrgh, you w-watch your mouth, girl! You're talking to a h-high class duelist!"

"Oh really? Where are they?"

"Why y-you-!"

She merely laughed at the robot, before saying to Kite calmly,

"You took a good chunk out of my Life Points, I'll give you that much...but this is where I'm taking things back to meet my favours, and where you're gonna go flying to the pavement with a fat lip! I Draw!"

As soon as she settled the card into her hand, I watched as she went into a moment of deep thought, glancing back and forth between Utopia and her current hand...

 _I think I know what she might be considering: Placing Utopia in Defense Mode._

"A risky move."

Athena turns to me with a confused expression, and I explain while glancing over at Kite,

"He went so far as to get rid of his Numbers to he could summon Galaxy-Eyes. He is sure to have a plan in place for you putting a Number in Defense."

"...So what do you think I should do, then?"

"The only thing you can do in a moment like this: You hunt the Hunter."

"You mean, just keep attacking until something connects?...I'm not saying that's a terrible idea, but, if it doesn't work, we're both meeting the afterlife."

"That is true, but I would rather go out with a bang than a whimper...Do you not feel the same?"

...A conflicted expression suddenly formed on her face, and she gazes ahead at Galaxy-Eyes and our opponent, before quietly muttering,

"Honestly...I don't know. I want to...but the idea of attacking relentlessly, with little thought before each blow...Throwing punches, trapping myself in tunnel vision..."

 _What?_

 _That does not sound like...Wait. Could she be thinking of..._

That's when I realized: In her mindset, the strategy we were discussing, sounded similar to what she was forced to undergo back when she was a part of that underground fighting club...

"Athena...you know that those pieces of your life have no connections to one another. You have even told your older brother this."

"Mh! (Nod) Mhm..."

"But it seems you yourself, are still having trouble distinguishing the differences between."

I reached out to ghost one of my hands over her shoulder, and chide to her,

"You must not allow your past to cloud your mind in the present. This battle we are undergoing right now, is nothing like what you've had to participate in back then."

She takes a deep breath in, before nodding and replying a bit more confidently,

"You're right. As much as I've been working to put the bad chapter of my life behind me, it still has a grip on me, one I need to shake loose from. And maybe...maybe this duel can help me do that."

Looking at me apologetically, she adds,

"Sorry that I hesitated my answer. Yes, I do want to fight with my head held high."

"It is alright, and I am glad to hear your bravery returning."

Athena smiles slightly, which almost made me form the expression back, before we both turned to the front with serious faces to continue the battle.

"Now the only question remaining, is what is our next move going to be?"

"Hmm...I've got an idea that should work."

Nodding to her in encouragement, she moves to make her play:

"Alright, no more sitting on my ass! Let's get this done! First, I summon Zubaba Knight!"

Said Level Three monster with 1600 Attack Points jumps to the field...

"Next, I activate my face-down, Copy Knight! This trap creates a duplicate of my monster, so now we have two Zubaba Knights on the field!"

The card transforms in accordance to her call-out, creating a muted-coloured version of her monster with the same Level but with 0 Attack Points.

"With that done, I overlay both Level Threes to build the Overlay Network! I XYZ Summon, Number 17: Leviathan Dragon!"

With that, we would soon be graced with the presence of the Rank Three water dragon settling on Utopia's left...  
Their appearance certainly caught the attention of the robot:

"D-Did she say Number?...Yep, it's confirmed! M-Master Kite; it's another Number Card!"

He in turn smirked slightly:

"So you have two, huh? I wonder: Does that mean that you're a Number Hunter as well? I sure hope so, and do you know why? Because then you'll have all the more for me to snatch."

Athena calls back in a retort,

"Like hell I'm allowing you to do that! I now activate Leviathan Dragon's ability: By using one Overlay Unit, they gain 500 Attack Points."

"So what? Even with that boost, Galaxy-Eyes remains the strongest beast."

"Who says I care about who's stronger? I now play the Spell Card, Cross Attack!"

 _Ah! A good play!_

"When I have two monsters on the field with the same Attack Points, one can't attack, but the other can, directly!"

That wiped away the smug expression on the hunter's face, encouraging a proud smirk to appear on Athena's.

"Go, Utopia: Attack him directly with Rising Sun Slash!"

"So predictable."

 _What?_

"You didn't think I'd let a simple Spell Card defeat me, because it won't be! Allow me to show you why: I play the Trap Card, Lumenize! Now Utopia's attack is negated, and Galaxy-Eyes gains its Attack Points!"

And just like that, our monster's sword evaporates, while the opposing dragon's Attack Points rose to 6500, a total I would not have guessed previously to be possible! Nor did Athena based on her exclaim:

"What the hell?! You're just making your monster ridiculous-type strong!"

"(Laugh) That's right, to the tune of 6500!"

I chide to her,

"Just stay calm."

She sucked in another deep breath...before asking me,

"What do we do now?"

"I'll tell you what: We make the only move left to make."

"Which is? Come on, now's not the time to leave me in suspense!"

"Place the Trap in your hand face-down."

She looks down at said card:

"My Mirror Mail? You're sure that will-Hang on...Oh!"

I nod at her in confirmation to her realization:

"That is right: With this Trap, when your opponent engages battle, Mirror Mail will change Utopia's Attack Points to match that of Galaxy-Eyes."

"And because Utopia's a Number Card, it will be Galaxy-Eyes who ends up destroyed! That's how we'll win!"

"Then let us get to it."

"Ten-four. I place a card face-down and end my turn!"

 _We can only pray that this card, will work to our advantage, and not be directed to disaster..._

Doctor Faker's Laboratory/Heartland Tower, No POV

As the duel between Athena and Kite waged on closer to the climax, we check back with the activities of Doctor Faker, who kept encouraging the young boy to unleash his power upon Astral World, and fuel the Sphere Field.

"You're doing great, Hart! Use your power! Use all you can!"

Meanwhile, deep in that inner chamber where the city trash was being dumped, Hart was just coming down from a recent release of his outworldly energy, leaning over the railing of the platform to catch his breath...

However, it seems this time he had pushed himself too far, and felt his heart skip a beat, before he was crying out in pain from a pulsating pound that ran through his skull!

Athena's POV

As soon as I set the last card in my hand, Kite jumps into his next turn.

 _Which hopefully, will be his downfall..._

"My turn! I Draw!"

He and I are then in a staring contest that lasts for a moment or two, myself holding a poker glare as I taunt mentally,

 _Hit me with your best shot, Number Hunter...I'm ready._

...

...But instead of sending Galaxy Eyes to attack...

"I summon forth, Photon Cerberus! And when Cerberus is let off its leash, your Trap Cards are put on 'em!"

 _Auh! No!_

With wide eyes, I watch as several chains go to wrap themselves around my face-down card!

"Oh no!"

"Fu-My Mirror Mail's useless now!"

"That's right, which means your last inch efforts to defeat me have failed, and you're all out of moves!"

 _...No...No, this can't be!_

Astral was in just as much disbelief as I was:

"He knew. Somehow, he knew. He has out-dueled us both..."

Kite made no effort to hide the victorious smirk on his face:

"And now your soul and Number Cards, _will be mine!_ Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon: Prepare to Attack!"

My mouth gaped, and I whirled my eyes to meet Astral's form, not wanting to believe this was our fate.

"Please...Please don't let this be the end!"

"...I am afraid so...Farewell."

 _No...No, No!_

All I could do, was stare up at the dragon charging up its attack...That's when I felt a familiar pulse run through me, like what happened during my duel with Flip.

"Uh!"

 _(Pulse, flash)_

 _...Fire...Hallways glowing a fiery red..._

 _The sounds of human and inhuman screams ringing off the walls in a frightening symphony._

 _I'm inside...a lab room? It's trashed..._

 _There's, something near my feet, but I dunno what. My eyes are ahead, staring up at..._

 _The beast! The red beast! It, it's coming at me! Going to-_

 _(Flash)_

"Aaagh!"

I gripped the sides of my head from the pounding sensation, my eyes wide with fear, a fear that I hadn't felt for so long. It felt so familiar, yet so foreign:

 _W-What is this?! What was that thing?! What was it doing, in that horrible place?_

 _(Flash)_

 _A galaxy...being attacked by the same red..._

 _(Flash)_

"U-hah!"

 _...Was that...No._

 _No, it can't be! Did I just see, Astral World?_

 _"BIG BROTHEEER!"_

 _Uh! Wha-...That sounded like, a young boy...Who was that?_

"Go, Photon Stream of-Uh-hah!"

...By some miracle, it seems I wasn't the only one who felt something wrong, and Kite screeched to a halt in announcing his attack!

"I-Incoming message...M-Master Kite!"

Though my vision was still coming down from those images flashing before me, I was able to make out the sight of a projection from that mini-mech, that showed...a young boy who looked like they had passed out.

"Hart!"

 _H-Hart?_

The longer I stared at the boy...the louder that very faint echo of a young child's voice got.

 _Did it, come from him...?_

"We'll finish this later!"

I was snapped out of my muddled thoughts, when Kite suddenly releases me from the Duel Anchor!

"Uh!"

"For now, I must leave! (Turns to the robot) Come on; we must hurry!"

"Then let's r-roll!"

And with no other words, the Number Hunter boards the now motorcycle-formed robo-lackie and speeds off to who knows, leaving the area around me to move free with time once again...

I barely registered the faltered steps of Akira, before I hear him slowly approach me.

"Addy?...What happened?"

...I couldn't answer him for a minute, until I finally stressed out in a whisper,

"I...I nearly got taken out, for good."

"What?"

The feeling in my legs is lost, and I dropped to my knees, the weight of everything in this duel crashing upon my shoulders with a vengeance, threatening to bury me alive.

"I dunno what's scaring me more...The fact that, I nearly lost it all, or, what I now know."

 _(Flash)_

 _The image of that beast, that, inhuman beast glowing red..._

 _Somehow, I know, it wasn't from that place. It came...came searching for something, someone._

 _...It came for me._

 _(Flash)_

 _Just like those blasts of energy, that were attacking his world..._

 _(Flash)_

...I no longer had the strength to hold back the feeling to cry, and shamefully burst into tears from this overwhelming fear rushing through my veins.

"I-It destroyed that damned place, but not on good whims! It was hunting me, me! Just like _he_ was hunting me now! No matter what I do, someone or something will always be plastering a target on my back! Why?! What the hell have I done to deserve this?! What...What did Astral's home do to deserve the brutal attacks they're facing?! What did he do to deserve being caught in my mess?!"

"Uh! Addy!"

I just shook my head in misery, shutting out Akira's voice, hugging myself in a vice-grip to try and steady myself, but to no avail.

"I'm sorry, Astral! I'm so sorry! I failed us! I failed us both!"

Through my watery vision, I swore that I saw said being break out of stupor to stare at me with shock for how weak I sounded. Hell, I was shocked that could sound so weak...but I didn't care. I didn't give a damn that I sounded like a total wimp. I was broken, my insides churning and threatening to tear into pieces.

All I could do, was continue to sob, near-oblivious to the arms of my other friend that wrapped around me to try and calm me down, his soothing words doing nothing to help me.

I was hurt...so hurt. The kind of pain that cannot be felt by the body...but by the soul.


	15. Embracing the Lessons of Fear, Part One

Hey all, great news: Finally came up with some good names for my main OC's parents!

So, that's all updated for my profile, and will feature here for the first time in this chapter.

Hope you like them as much as I do, and continue to read my story to your heart's content :)

* * *

It's been several days since the intense duel between Athena and the mysterious Number Hunter, Kite, which may have ended in total disaster for the former and Astral if not for the latter becoming preoccupied at the last minute by an incoming alert about his younger brother's condition...

Even so, the cloud of despair and doubt had yet to cease hovering over the pair that was previously at the receiving end of the loser's scale.

(Ka-chank)

Of course, the girl with red irises was not the type to wallow in her own misery for days on end, at least not after the large release of her tears right after Kite had left...

"Hm? Oh! Fujina-san, good morning."

"Hey Marty. Been a while...Is the gym quiet?"

"As a door mouse. Just show me the member card and I'll let you in."

One night of crying in her sleep was all she needed before settling into a masked state of depression mixed with anger, to which she felt needed to be literally worked out of her system. In which case, after wandering around mindlessly in her house for a day, Athena would then pack up her casual bag with two water bottles, several snacks and a towel, and dress up in one of her running outfits before heading out to a local gym she's frequented to now and again for several months prior to now, mostly during times she needed to take her anger out on something in a healthy manner...

Now, we zoom inside a room where the floor was built with a giant blue mat over the hardwood, the left side wall made of window glass that opened to the sunny outside, while the right, front and back were made of cream plaster and had several exercise machines of different types lined up along them. Sitting in the middle was a stand-up punching bag, currently being beaten up by the girl with long, shaggy black hair tipped copper-red tied back into a tight french braid, her body beading with sweat and her eyes burning with a dulled rage as she threw punch after gloved punch against the leather bag.

"Hh, (punch)! Ha, (punch)! Rh, (punch)!..."

Hovering near the windows in a mock sitting position, was Astral, whom had remained silent and almost mournful-like since that duel.  
Every once in a while, he'd glance up and watch Athena work the bag, before looking back down with a hand under his chin...

After another seven-ten minutes, the girl paused in her actions to catch her breath and gulp down some water from one of her bottles, feeling another session of degrading thoughts coming on.

 _Damn it, this sucks...There wasn't a damn thing I was able to do stop Kite's plays._

 _(Flash)_

 _"There's no escape now, my little friend. You and your Numbers will be hunted down!"_

 _(Flash)_

 _...I dunno what I hate more about him: His arrogance or his skill._

Astral's thoughts meanwhile, were much more self-blaming:

 _It is my fault that we almost lost to that Number Hunter..._

 _(Flash)_

 _"And now your soul and Number Cards, will be mine! Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon: Prepare to attack!"_

 _(Flash)_

 _...If the duel had not been stopped, then I...I would have vanished from here forever._

Just the mere idea was enough to make his hand tremble, which would turn into a flinch when his ears pick up on the sound of a growl of frustration from Athena, who tossed her water bottle onto her backpack before rushing over to suddenly roundhouse-kick the punching bag hard, causing it to topple backwards onto the floor!

"Hah...hah...Okay, that was on the edge of overkill, but I really needed to do that."

But when she gazed at the fallen exercise equipment for two seconds too long...

 _(Flash)_

 _A blurred figure sprawled on a stone floor in a broken doll-like fashion..._

 _(Flash)_

"Hh!"

She suddenly felt another buried memory trigger, and stumbled back while holding a hand over her heart to calm herself.

 _...There it is again: That, shape on the floor of one of that, place's rooms._

 _It's so strange that Kite's monster readying to enact the finisher, somehow woke my brain up to more details I suppressed._

 _...But this growing unease, this, fear...I'm not sure if it's a good or bad thing._

 _(Flash)_

 _Hunching over near the fallen blur, was a humanoid-like beast with glowing blood-red skin, possessing thick hulking arms that dragged across the ground with large, clawed pawing hands, muscled legs that seemed grotesquely-grown, making their stance somewhat awkward and handicap-like, floor-length hair a shade darker than its skin that held a weak black aura around, and mismatched eye sockets that gleamed a deadly black and blue, both surrounded by a faint sheen of gold!_

 _(Flash)_

 _Especially that, monster, that freakish thing..._

Athena suddenly looks over at Astral's hunched form, concluding to herself,

 _Whatever that beast was...it has connections to what's happening to Astral World. I can feel it._

 _...Speaking of Astral, I can't stand this new period of quiet from him anymore. It's deafening._

Taking in a deep breath, the girl walks over to the being while picking up her towel to drape over her shoulders, determined to snap the other out of his depressed daze.

"Okay, Astral, we really need to talk about these last couple days. I admit, I'm not acting any better than you are, but at least I'm still trying to stay in tune with the world. Meanwhile, you've been staring at the wall like you're expecting it to talk back, as well as made no motions to speak other than voicing depressing commentary."

There's a pause, before the blue being mutters,

"I cannot help it."

"Rgh, you can if you try! Look, bottom line, avoiding that stone-cold creep Kite isn't gonna work: He'll eventually circle back to us in his hunt for the Number Cards, which we need to be ready for."

"But what if we are not?"

Athena slaps a hand to her forehead and groans,

"See, that's the type of thinking that won't help! Come on, Astral, pull away from the events of that duel and focus on now!"

"Um, Addy?"

"Hm?"

Said girl pauses in her pep-talk, and turns around to the entrance of the workout room to see her friends Tiffany and Jamal standing there, the first wearing a light blue t-shirt with embroidered sleeves, a mint green, knee-length flowy skirt, and black flats with white knee-high socks, while the second wore his light orange tank-top with an image of the infamous Flaming Swordsman on it, a black sleeveless jacket overtop, baggy blue jeans and grey-white sneakers.

"Oh, Tiff, Jamal, hey...How'd you guys know I was here?"

"Adam told us after we swung by your place to see you...Uhm, is this a bad time?"

By that, Tiffany was gesturing to the down punching bag, to which Athena would quickly dismiss.

"Oh no, no, not at all! Just, heh, got a little carried away with my workout...So what's up?"

Knowing about her true motives in coming to the local gym thanks to past incidences, her friends don't fully buy the brush-off, but chose to leave the subject alone for now to show her an advertisement for an upcoming event...

"The World Duel Carnival, eh?"

"Yeah, it's suppose to be this huge Dueling Tournament that our city's hosting! There's even gonna be some international competition, from places we barely know where to look up on a global map!"

But while Jamal was feeling pumped up about the appending event, Athena was feeling the opposite.

 _Hmm...it's more than likely Kite will be there..._

Seeing the distant glare and tightening of grip on the dark-skinned boy's duel disk, Tiffany became concerned.

 _Athena's been acting real self-berating and angry lately, and it doesn't look like she's been sleeping well._

"Addy?"

"...Hm?"

"You, don't seem very amped about the coming tournament, and, I've been noticing your undereyes are darkening again...Has something been bugging you lately?"

The girl with red irises stiffened ever so slightly, thinking to herself with regret,

 _If only I could tell you, Tiff...but this is another one of those difficult subjects I can't involve too many minds in, least not right now.  
_

"It's, nothin' I can't handle. Just some nightmares that have yet to quit pestering me..."

"Are you sure?"

Just as Athena was about to open her mouth to reply, another voice suddenly cuts in with a cheerful air.

"Ah, Athena, there you are!"

Jumping to her feet, she turns to see her eldest family member standing a few feet away from her and her friends!

"Gah! Grandpa! When'd you get down here?!"

"Just a few minutes ago, but that's not important. Anyway, I need you to be a dear and drop something off to an old colleague of mine who lives outside the city."

Homare then causally drops down a huge satchel of what looks to be various fresh vegetables and eggs.

"There's a note for him inside as well, (pulls out a paper from his sleeve) and this one has the address."

Athena takes the paper from her grandfather with a suspicious expression, and opens it up to read over...

"Uh! That far?! (Looks at the bag) And I gotta lug this load...Gramps, couldn't you have called in Adam or Terry to do this instead of draggin' it down here last-minute?"

The elder's brown-red irises gleamed dangerously:

"Who are you and what have you done with my kind and generous granddaughter?! Where is she?!"

"Yah! Guh-uh, I'm right here, gramps, here!...Haaah, I get it; I'm on it."

"(Smile) Much better. I knew I could count on you for the job."

Time Skip

It would soon be inching close to dusk by the time Athena had reached the area where her grandfather's friend lived, the sun casting a dull golden light over a very long staircase towards a large shrinehouse set up top a tall hill surrounded by the overwhelming green of trees.

The girl herself, was slowly making her way up with the loaded satchel on her back, along with Astral who had shifted his mock sitting position to right over the opening of the bag.

"Hr-gh, hope you're enjoying the view, from up there! Bet the, sunset's looking beautiful, huh?!"

Her tone of course, reigned with sarcasm and exhaustion, and after a few more steps, she'd catch up with her friends at the next foot of the stairs, they having graciously volunteered to tag along and help her reach the place...

However, as Athena gazed upward to where her destination laid, her red irises would bulge when she saw that the top was still quite a ways away.

"Ugh, god dammit! Just how much higher do we hafta go?! It feels like we're climbing up the staircase to heaven's gate!"

She topples onto her knees, adding,

"Urrrgh, I picked the wrong day to work the bag hard...!"

After taking in a few more deep breaths, Jamal replies to his complaining friend,

"Well then, look at it this way, Addy: If we stop here and turn around, (smirk) you'll be lugging that load all the way back to the city."

Athena froze with a sweatdrop...before shaking herself and replying,

"Good point. No way am I doin' that. (Lifts herself to her feet) Okay then, next round, and this time, it'll be the last!"

And with a renewed motivation, the girl with black hair tipped copper-red bursts into a fast jog up the rest of the stairs, her friends watching her go with awed and slightly amused smiles on their faces...

Several minutes pass, before Athena would touch down at the top of the large hill where the shrine laid.

"Hah, hah, hah, made it...(Looks up) Hm."

Looking around, we see that the structure was quite grand in design compared to other shrines (the roof made of mahogany tiling and shaped like the top of a circus tent), with worn stone lanterns making the walkway.

"Wow...This is the kind of quiet place I've always wanted to hang about at, but couldn't get to in the city."

 _It's weird, though: I, feel like I've been here before...But when?_

Walking over to the home, the girl slides the door open and calls,

"Hello?...Anybody here?"

 _Odd. You'd think that gramp's friend would be home..._

Unbeknownst to her, a figure was watching her from the rafters...until they suddenly sprang and landed right on top of the large bundle of food she was carrying!

Athena's yelp of surprise was the first thing Jamal and Tiffany heard when they finally reached the top of the staircase, and they would quickly rush to the entrance of the shrine-house to see what the matter was.

"Addy!" "What's wrong?!"

She whirls around to face them and points upward with an agitated expression:

"S-Somethin' jumped on me!"

And that 'something', is revealed to be an elderly man with balding white-gray hair that stuck out at the sides, bushy eyebrows and a goat patch, pale complexion, brown eyes, and wore an orange haori with a dull yellow/bark brown striped vest that had fur lining the arm holes overtop, a mahogany sash around his middle that held his brown hakama in place, slate black socks, tan sandals, and a red scarf around his neck. He was busy scarfing away at a few of the vegetables, until he clues into the new faces.

"Ah, friends! You got any dipping sauce?"

Jamal and Tiffany sweatdrop with partly-gaped mouths, before the former comments,

"Uhm, the something's a someone, Addy, an old man to be exact."

"...Seriously?"

And what happened to the blue being previously occupying the top of the bag? Well, despite his mind continuing to mull over 'that duel', he managed to tune into reality fast enough to float out of the way of the incoming human, and was now hovering closer to the ceiling...

...Eventually, the three teens and elder had sat down to the floor with some tea and the food that was packed in the bundle Athena brought, with the latter eating alot more than the three former. Jamal sideglances his friend with red irises and whispers in awe,

"And they say teenagers have bottomless stomachs...!" She whispers back,

"I know, right?"

They snap back to the elder when he, um, belched, and he pats his stomach with a satisfied smile.

"Oh yeah: A full belly is indeed a happy belly! Be sure to give my thanks to Homare for me."

"So you and gramps do know eachother then, sir? How'd you meet?"

The elder laughs a little and replies to Athena,

"You've been taught manners, I see. Good girl...but no need to use 'sir' around me. The name happens to be Roku."

His expression shifts a bit more serious with a proud smile:

"But you can call me Master Roku." All three teens reply in unison,

"Master Roku?!"

...At the same time, back in the Fujina family residence, Homare had finished telling his grandsons about where he sent their youngest family member. While Adam took in the information calmly, Terry did not:

"You sent Athena to the Duel Sanctuary?! Grandpa...this is the kind of thing I've been trying to avoid: If she becomes more involved with Dueling, she'll end up under the danger radar again! If not mom and dad, think about what Athena's already trying to work past..."

Adam chides his brother's name with sympathy and slight scolding for berating their grandfather's judgement, while he himself replies with a serious frown on his lips and in his brown-red irises after taking a sip of his tea,

"That is precisely why I believe now is the time to send her there. Do not misunderstand me, Terrence: I too wish to keep Athena safe from the dangers of this world, but I also know that sheltering her like a recluse would backfire terribly. Not only that...but her experiences are already teaching her to be observant, and any negativity attached only makes her all the more determined to move forward. Therefore, the best course of action we can take as her family is to support her growth, and help prepare her for what may lie ahead."

The younger redhead was left speechless by Homare's words, while the other young man with the tamed black mullet smiles in a knowing fashion...

"What?! Can't go home?!"

Turning back to the apparent Duel Sanctuary, the three teens were shocked to learn from Roku that they had arrived at his home during the time of day that made public transport a bit difficult to procure.

"You missed the last bus by about an hour, and everyone here calls it a day at sundown."

Tiffany replies with a stubborn frown and her hands on her lips,

"Then we'll just walk, no problem." The elder counters,

"But then you wouldn't be able to clean this room for me."

Athena exclaims,

"Clean?! What?! (Looks around) But this room's messier than Terry's after a fortnight! It'll take a few hours just to find the corners!"

Roku replies from around the partly-opened door with a sneaky smile,

"Then you better get started. Your grandfather's note said that you'd do anything I'd ask you to do. Your dear grandpa isn't a liar, is he?"

With that, he leaves to another part of the shrine, leaving Athena to fume when she realizes,

 _...Dammit, he set me up! Oooo, I'm so gonna get you back for this, gramps, just you wait!_

Come about forty minutes later, we see that the clean-up task was coming steadily along, with Tiffany washing the floors using a rag and bucket, and Jamal carrying a box or two with a small bundle on top to another end of the room.

"That should all go into the closet, Jamal."

"Gotcha."

The girl with bobbed black hair then glances over at her other friend, who was sweeping a broom across the floor with an absentminded expression gazing around the room.

"Ugh, Addy, don't sweep it all random; guide the mess to one spot."

"H-Huh? Oh, sorry, Tiff...I just keep getting this weird feeling of déjà vu from this place, like I've been here once before..."

Jamal calls over his shoulder in curiousity after storing the items into the closet,

"Really?"

"Yeah...but I can't remember when...Hm?"

Athena's attention then falls on the dim glow of light coming from a set of old wood-iron doors leading to another room of the shrine-house.

 _What's Roku got behind there?_

Setting the broom against a wall, she walks over to push the doors open, and was greeted with the sight of several wooden statues carved to meet the likeness of several famous Duel Monsters, a few of which she recognized instantly.

"Uh! That's...The Dark Magician...! (Looks left) And there's Blue-Eyes White Dragon, Red-Eyes Black Dragon, (Looks right) Neos, and Dark Magician Girl! Whoa...So many legendary monsters in one spot. Incredible...!"

 _And again, so oddly familiar..._

As Athena drank in the sight of these large figurines, Tiffany and Jamal file into the room wondering what got their friend distracted.

"Addy, you better not be trying to get out o-Huh? Oh...!"

"What's all this? (Looks right) Auh, is that, Flame Swordsman?! Awesome!"

Even Astral was gazing around the room with interest...  
Roku's chuckling then echoed into the room, as he appears suddenly from behind one of the statues.

"I'm glad you like them. I poured my heart and soul into making these wooden statues. Every time one of my little birdies flies from the nest, I carve a new one in his or her honour."

Tiffany cocks her head to the side in confusion:

"Little birdies, you say?"

"Yes. My students, my prodigies. This historical Duel Sanctuary is a training house, a place of knowledge. A many of incredible duelists have mastered their art in this very room..."

Roku glances over at Athena's form over where the Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl statues were standing, staring at them with an intent expression of distant familiarity. He in turn felt a knowing smile curve onto his lips:

"In fact, Athena's parents have been brought up here by Homare a few times."

Jamal and Tiffany exclaim,

"Uh! Really?!" "Addy's folks?"

"Mhm, and I do recall one such time, heh, where they brought along their children, including their little bundle of energy with wide, curious red eyes..."

That bit of information caught Athena's attention:

"...That was me, wasn't it?"

"Aah, so you do remember, do you?"

She shuts her eyes in thought...

 _(Flash)_

 _We see a little toddler just entering three years of age, her black hair with copper tips reaching just to her mid-back, wearing a red t-shirt with a black fall vest overtop, blue jeans and white socks (her yellow boots were left near the entrance), wandering around the room of wooden carvings with a smile and giggle under her breath, red eyes sparkling with delight._

 _"Wooow..."_

 _She stops in front of two particular figurines, and claps her hands with a laugh before chirping,_

 _"Gagaga Magic!"_

 _A chuckle rings into the room, belonging to a very familiar man with short, spiky black hair and a balbo beard, grey eyes and fairly-tanned skin, he dressed in a grey sweater, brown khaki pants and black socks to match his black boots (they also left at the entrance). He walks over to the little girl and says to her,_

 _"Actually, Athena, that's Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl."_

 _"Dark, Magi-cian?"_

 _"That's right. He and his apprentice are a part of the monsters from legend."_

 _"So, they're special?"_

 _"Exactly."_

 _Little Athena looks back up at the monster carvings with awe, just as another very familiar face with medium-length, feathered copper-red hair, red eyes and fair skin walks into the room with Roku, she wearing a long-sleeve white shirt with a dark blue fall vest overtop, dark grey jeans and white socks (her brown boots left with her husband and daughter's), an amused smile on her face at seeing the former's dancing figure._

 _"She's really taken a shine to your statues, Master Roku."_

 _"(Laugh) No surprise to me, dear Sarina. Your little girl has yours and Orion's curiousity and the budding spirit of a duelist...Something tells me, I will soon see her again when she begins her dueling journey."_

 _(Flash)_

...Looking back at the spellcasters carved from wood, Athena smiles slightly with a tinge of distant sadness and nostalgia.

"Yes...I do. They were so big back then, and, always looked like they could reach out to take my hand."

Roku's smile grew slightly at the characterization, before he reveals,

"...But they do move."

The young teens raise their brows skeptically, as the red-eyed girl asks,

"They do? But, how?"

"They come to life during a duel...Do you want to see? Hm?"

Athena nods, pulling out her duel gazer:

"I sure do! Let's get to it, Master Roku!"

The other two teens and elder activate their own gazers, bringing the AR World to life.

 **Augmented Reality Vision Link Established.**

"(Both duelists) Let's duel!"

Roku then explains the handicaps for this particular style of dueling, as four statues are moved to incorporate for the match, along with two podiums carrying what looked to be carved-out wooden cards.

"In this duel training scenario, two legends have been already been summoned to each of our fields! Over here I have Blue-Eyes Statue Dragon, and Red-Eyes Statue Dragon! You have Statue Dark Magician, and Statue Dark Magician Girl! The decks we're using are wooden training decks, made by yours truly. Now, the four legendary monsters we have on the field remain as wooden statues. Their powers are sealed away. They have zero Attack Points; they cannot engage in battle."

"What? But then, how can they battle if they're standin' stiff?"

"You can say that they can move. You can believe that they cannot. That choice is yours to make."

That answer only left Athena all the more confused, while Astral figures out the meaning right away.

 _I see: The potential of these monsters relies on the decisions that Athena makes._

He hovers down near her side to explain:

"Athena, you have the power to bring these monsters to life."

"I do?"

"One of the cards in your deck must be the key to unlocking their powers."

The girl looks to the large stack of cards above the five drawn:

"...Oooh, now I see, (slaps forehead) doigt!"

Roku meanwhile, shifts to sit down on the floor and asks with a tease in his tone,

"Should I get myself comfy, maybe make myself some tea?"

Athena sends a smirk back and retorts,

"Very funny, but I don't recommend getting too comfortable, since I'm Drawing!"

She swipes up a card from the deck, and looks down to see,

"Alright! I activate the Field Spell, Statue Zone!"

"Oh?"

"This spell allows me to remove the seal placed on all statue monsters!"

 _Time to wake up to the party, everyone._

The area is soon clouded with a thick purple mist with golden sparkles glittering around, leaving Jamal and Tiffany in awe, while the four statues being used for this battle begin to crack like eggs, their eyes glowing red...

"Rise up, everyone, and let's add a new page to the Duel Monsters history book!"

On that note, the wooden shells split away into pixels, making way for the legendary monsters to show their true colours: Level Seven Dark Magician with 2500 Attack Points, Level Six Dark Magician Girl with 2000 Attack Points, Level Seven Red-Eyes Black Dragon with 2400 Attack Points, and of course, Level Eight Blue-Eyes White Dragon with 3000 Attack Points!

Athena was struck with awe by the holographic images of these famous four.

"This is, beyond amazing...! It's like we went back in time to play the roles of some of the greatest duelists to walk the earth!"

 _I wonder, if how I feel, is how he felt when he first summoned Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl?_

(Note: If anyone caught my very subtle hat-tip from the original series, Gold Star to you!)

Jamal was just in much rapture:

"Aw yeah! This is legend beyond legend! Kind-a wish I could see Flame Swordsman in the pixelized flesh, but Red-Eyes is just as cool!"

Tiffany shakes her head in amusement at his enthusiasm, but was also looking at the monsters with a sparkle in her blue eyes...

"Alright, Dark Magician, if you will: Attack Red-Eyes with Dark Magic Attack!"

The spellcaster heeds Athena's call, and twirls his staff before releasing a bolt of purple energy at the targeted dragon, its pixel body destroyed and making way for its original wooden carving! Roku's Life Points drop to 3900, but his focus was on his new student's skill:

"Heha, not too shabby, little scrapper."

"Thanks!"

"Question..."

He rose back to his feet with a teachable smile before asking,

"You may have made a monster move, but can you truly move a monster?"

Astral forms an expression of wondering, while Athena frowned and raised her brow questioningly.

"I don't understand what you mean, Master Roku. Are you suggesting a monster's movements go deeper?"

"Hmm, you're on the right track...but still: Perhaps you need a new perspective."

"A new wha-UH!"

(Pulse...)

Athena's POV

(Pulse...)

 _(Blink) Huh? What just, happened?...It feels like did a mile-long jump..._

 _...Gah!_

Once my vision was fully focused, I found myself staring almost directly into the irises of Blue-Eyes White Dragon!  
They let out a deafening roar, making me shiver before trying to figure out what was going on.

 _Wh-When the heck was I this close to the act-..._

 _Wait...I'm holding something._

I look down at my hands, and see a very familiar-looking staff belonging to an equally familiar magician's apprentice.

 _This is-!...So, that would mean...I'm inside Dark Magician Girl's body!_

 _But, if I'm here..._

I turn to glance over my shoulder, and saw my own body now encased in its own wooden shell!

 _Holy crap!_

I shifted my gaze to the blue being hovering by my newly-frozen body, and he in turn pivots his head to lock eyes with mine.

 _Astral..._

"This is quite an interesting scenario."

 _Wish I could say the same, (focuses up front) but, this is way too close to the battle for my liking._

 _...It, even reminds me of-No! No, don't think back, Addy!_

 _Don't remind yourself of those trashy battles that bastard dared called duels..._

"Look alive, missy, 'cause it's my turn now!"

I quickly look up to Roku as he draws a new card:

"I'm activating a Spell, Polymerization!"

A bolting tornado rose from the card on the field to cloak Blue-Eyes from my vision...

"And now I fuse my three Blue-Eyes White Dragons from my Graveyard and my hand, to Fusion-Summon, Blue-Eyes Ultimate Statue Dragon!"

 _Uh! Oh no...!_

And just like that, the three-headed Level Ten version of that dangerous dragon came flying onto the field, packing a pounding 4500 Attack Points!

 _Aw man, I'm screwed!_

 _...But, it's not looking at me...(Bulges eyes) They're looking at-_

"Now my Ultimate Dragon: Attack Dark Magician! Neutron Blast Attack!"

The three heads charge up a sphere of blue lightning, before launching it to blast straight against the male spellcaster beside me, who lets out an outcry before vanishing in a cluster of pixels, forcing my Life Points to drop down to 2000!

 _Dark Magician, no!_

"Haha, next I activate the De-Fusion Spell card from my hand! So by sending my Blue-Eyes Ultimate back to my extra deck, it splits apart, and now I have three Blue-Eyes White Dragons once again!"

The sight of those dragons closing in against me...I actually would've preferred the one triple-headed dragon over them.  
It wouldn't have been half as scary as three ice blue-scaled monsters getting ready to attack.

 _Uh, no, please! Don't do it!_

My anxiety was rising quick, but, it wasn't just me...I could feel a second set of fears creeping up, one that wasn't my own.

 _Is...is this, Dark Magician Girl's heart I'm feeling?_

 _...She's just as terrified as I am._

Master Roku seemed to notice the change of my personal air:

"Yes. When staring into the eyes of a powerful foe, you tremble in fear. It's only natural...Our monsters are no different: They are forced to confront their fears every time we duel."

 _Forced to confront their fears...Gee. Put it that way, it kind-a shines a bad spotlight on the duelist._

"Feel the terror! Buckle under the weight of your fear! Tremble, as my Blue-Eyes attack you directly! Go White Lightning!"

The dragons release their breaths of power to come crashing against me like an electrical wave, my outcry mixing with Dark Magician Girl's as I-No...as we both face defeat...

I felt a shift halfway, and when I landed on the floor on my back, I found myself within my own body again as my Life Points drop to zero. My friends mutter my name with concerned tones, while I pushed myself to a sitting position with shaky arms as I gradually came down from that jump-scare.

"Hh...hh...hh..."

 _That, was all kinds of freaky...but I also, feel like I learned a whole lot._

"I may have pushed you a little hard...but you felt it, didn't you?"

I look up at the approaching elder as he continued:

"You felt the fear that a monster does every time you summon it to battle in your name. When you learn to make that fear your own, and when you master how to tame it, only then will you truly be able to move a monster."

...Removing my duel gazer, I found myself staring at the ground with a mix of clarity...and an old bitterness that was threatening to bubble in my gut.

"How could I have been so blind? Thinking most of my monsters were fearless...I'm an idiot. They're just as scared as the duelist is, as I get sometimes...But, I suppose, (bitter smile) part of the problem is that I still get that numbing blocker when I'm particularly submerged in a fight. It might have worked back...when I was..."

"When you used to be a part of that group of troublemakers on the rougher side of the city?"

I dart my eyes up to meet Master Roku's with surprise, who nods with a neutral expression.

"Homare told me about those months when your identity had become lost in the darker parts of this world, and that while you have come far, you still have trouble overcoming that part of your life..."

...My irises dart back down with a dull glare of thought:

"Yeah...What's worse is that when I wasn't fighting in the ring, I also, half-against my will, participated in a very dangerous type of dueling the leader of that gang invented for entertainment."

Four sets of irises met my form with interest, as I rose to my feet while clenching one of my hands tight enough to make the knuckles crack.

"It was crudely called Duel Fist, which basically combines the elements of regular dueling and ultimate fighting. It wasn't just the monsters who had to throw the punches: So did the duelists themselves. It even went as far as the direct attacks turning into fights for your life against the monster."

A collective gasp passed through the room, before Tiffany cautiously asked,

"And, how many were you in?"

"Last count...37, and no, none of those matches count towards my dueling record nor my opponents. Trilos wanted to make sure no one could trace Duel Fist back to the source...otherwise...they'd find a list of near-deaths caused by it."

"Uh! It was that dangerous?!"

"Yes. I, almost lost Akira twice thanks to that horrible excuse of dueling...Both types of fighting I did in that 'club'...it hardened me into stone. My immunity to physical pain, had gone deeper, that I couldn't feel it in my mind, my heart...my very soul. And now..."

I shake my head while rubbing a palm over my face, looking through my fingers with saddened eyes.

"Now I dunno what to think before it comes. I keep jumping back and forth between losing and relearning my ability to feel fear. It's pathetic, or it is to me..."

...One of my shoulders gains a bit of extra weight from the presence of a hand, and I pivot my head to see Master Roku giving me a sympathetic smile.

"There's nothing pathetic about trying to find out your place with the emotion of fear. You know how to faze it out, but it would seem your ability to do so has become so strong that it becomes difficult for you to accept your fears at the end of the day..."

I nodded in agreement, a tiny smile of regret and clarity forming.

"That sounds right..."

"It isn't too late to teach yourself how, my dear. Merely allow your heart to open itself."

"I'll try, Master Roku...and, thanks for opening my eyes again."

Time Skip, No POV

Come the next morning, as the sun streamed down over the Duel Sanctuary hidden between the tall trunks of conifers and pine, we would find Athena hard at work polishing the wood of the Duel Monster statues inside the training hall, feeling a renewed determination rising in her veins thanks to her lessons from yesterday...

"(Yawn) This is startin' to get a bit tiring. Hey, Addy, are you still wantin' to catch that flick today?"

Without turning around from the Dark Magician Girl statue, Athena replies to Jamal (who was leaning against a post with Tiffany),

"Nah, I think I'll pass...but if you and Tiff wanna head out, go ahead. I'm gonna hang out at the Sanctuary a while; these statues have seen less dustier days..."

The girl with cornflower blue eyes and black bobbed hair smiles at her friend's new dedication, before turning to scamper to another room of the building while calling out,

"In that case, I'll go get started on some breakfast!"

That left Jamal to sweatdrop with a somewhat annoyed expression:

 _Sheesh, the way those two change their plans in an instant..._

 _Eh, guess we'll have to see that movie another day. No way I'm headin' by myself; they'll bug me for weeks._

At the same time the boy settles into sitting against the post in a lazed position for a while, Tiffany sends a 'good morning' to Roku before rushing out the room, leaving him to watch Athena's busy form for a moment with a proud smile, before turning to tour the rest of the grounds...

"Huh? What happened here?"

He paused to the sound of the girl's exclaim, and saw her gaze was fixated on the statue of an unnamed, armoured ninja statue, which bore a long crack going from the left shoulder down to the right hip.

"This, looks like a repair job. Was the statue cut down by someone? But why?"

Roku's smile shifts to a distant frown of sadness as he continued his way out, while Athena rubbed the spot on the statue in question with a concerned expression, Astral floating near her while looking at the area with light curiousity...

We move to the outside walkway leading to the Sanctuary's front entrance as the sky begins to gray, the caretaker standing on the stone path while deep in thought.

 _That girl has a good spirit. She is a diamond just waiting to shine..._

"She's the opposite of _him_."

Just as he briefly recalls the one responsible for the apparent destruction of that one wooden statue, his ears pick up on the sound of someone approaching.

"Hm?"

He looks upward, and widens his eyes when he sees,

"It's, it's you...!"

"Yes it is, _master_...I'm back."

Looking ahead a couple feet in front of the elder, we meet the light gray irises of a young man with a pale complexion, black hair that had pale aqua dyed in, styled short and spiky with two long pieces hanging at the sides of his face, wearing a modernized version of the traditional garments of a ninja, the colour scheme being dark purple and black, and was even carrying a katana strapped to his left hip!

"Didn't think you'd see me again, did you?"

Roku's expression hardens:

"I did not...for I said you were never to come back here."

"You told me alot of things, old man..."

The unknown individual holds up the duel disk strapped to his left arm:

"But words are cheap."

It clicks up ready just as Roku snaps on his duel gazer...A flash of lightning cracks across the skies as both men cry out,

"Let's Duel!"

(...Ka-chank, creeeeeak)

"Hm?"

A little while later, Athena and Astral would break out of their little worlds to the sound of the doors opening, revealing the unnamed man from earlier! Feeling suspicious of their arrival, the girl puts down the polishing cloth before walking over to meet the other in the middle of the room.

"...Is there something I can help you with?"

The man turns to cast a serious glare down at the young teen:

"And who are you?" She glares a bit back and replies,

"Athena Fujina, and you are?"

"Athena!"

"Huh?"

The girl turns her head back to the doorway, only to widen her eyes when she sees Roku's worn-down form being supported by Tiffany and Jamal!

"Master Roku! What happened?!"

"Get away, my dear girl!"

"Away from what? (Looks at the man) Do you mean him? Who is he and what has he done?"

"Kaze...a former pupil of mine."

 _(Flash)_

 _Turning back time, we glimpse into the man Kaze's training days with Roku, highlighting that while he might've had skill, it wasn't being used properly to meet any potential he may have had..._

 _"You lose again, and you will keep losing if you let your anger blind you!"_

 _Removing his duel gazer, the elder continues to lecture his student:_

 _"I told you not to play that card; why didn't you listen?! You'll never learn to control the darkness inside you unless you-"_

 _He was cut off by Kaze's frustrated outcry, his hand reaching to grab his katana..._

 _"Kaze! Don't listen to your rage!"_

 _"Yaaaah!"_

 _"Kaze!"_

 _(Slash, slash, SLASH...Topple)_

 _Three thrusts of silver was all it took to cut down the wooden carving of that unknown ninja monster...Roku rushes a bit closer with widened eyes and a gape of disbelief directed at Kaze's form._

 _"...Leave this place, now!"_

 _The student turned to spit out the following words fueled by a raging desire._

 _"One day, I will defeat you, and the Legendary Deck will be mine!"_

 _(Flash)_

"That day has finally arrived, Roku. I'm the master now: Where's the deck?"

The elder's response was stubborn and instant:

"I think I accidentally threw it away."

"You think I'm joking?!"

"You think he is?"

Kaze's glare turns to fixate on Athena, who was asserting him with a distasteful frown, arms folded.

"You are aware that attacking your former teacher with no motivation other than an old grudge basically constitutes as cowardice, right?"

"Rgh, how dare you!"

The other four in the room widen their eyes in surprise for the girl's courage, before Roku breaks out in a passion,

"Athena is right: Your spirit has been corroded by darkness! You don't deserve to even look at the Legendary Deck!"

The man with gray irises belts out an outcry of fury, before unsheathing his katana at ready!

"I'll destroy everything here if I have to!"

But just as he swings his blade:

"No you don't!"

(CLACK)

Athena meets his steel's flat side with the handle of the broom left behind in the room by Jamal last night!

"Athena, no!" "Addy!"

The man and girl have a short contest of strength, both grinding their teeth at one another, before the latter shoves the katana upward and tries to land a kick in the former's torso, only for him to dodge while he swipes a fist against her side, knocking her to the floor!

"Rgh!"

Luckily, thanks to Athena's gift/curse of immunity to pain, she doesn't feel hurt, but glares seethingly up at Kaze who in turn stares down at her with an air nowhere calmer than hers was.

"Walk away, you runt. This does not concern you!"

Jumping to her feet, the girl barks back with anger burning in her red irises,

"Bullcrap it doesn't: Master Roku was kind enough to take me in and help me realize what I was beginning to forget again, and I won't allow anyone like you to insult his teachings or his honour! I'm taking you down!"

Tiffany and Jamal hum Athena's name in bated awe for her spirit, and Roku says to her encouragingly,

"Use what I have taught, and victory will be yours."

Kaze meanwhile, felt a mix of anger and annoyance rise in him from the girl's fire.

"Tuh. I guess that senile old fool will take anyone in."

"You want this so-called Legendary Deck? You'll have to face me first in battle!"

"Is that so? That won't be a problem."

"Oh it will be, trust me! If there's one thing I don't do, is let a grownup talk me down! Duel Disk: Go! Duel Gazer: Show me the impossible!"

 **Augmented Reality Vision Link Established.**

"(Both duelists) Let's Duel!"

Athena holds up her fist free of cards and cracks her knuckles to emphasize the following threat.

" _You're gonna regret tossin' around your arrogance like a football._ I'll promise you that!"

Her two best friends shiver slightly from the trace of deadliness in her tone, the male with dreadlocks muttering,

"Hoo boy, that Kaze better watch himself: An Angry Addy on a mission, is one of the more dangerous kinds of Addy."

Astral moves to hover at ready beside the girl with red irises.

"I am right by your side, Athena."

"Are you? Huh...I was actually sure that I'd be fighting on my own."

"I believe I have alot to learn from this old man. That makes me his student too."

Athena cracks a smirk halfway to a smile:

"Sounds good to me. Let's pound this poser! My turn; I Draw! I summon Gagaga Magician!"

The Level Four Spellcaster with 1500 Attack Points rises to his summoner's side of the field...

"Then I place one card face-down, and end my turn. Your move, ninja-boy!"

"What a joke. I Draw! I summon, Flame-Armour Ninja!"

A geyser of flames shoots from the ground up in front of the man, before a monster with the guise of a ninja warrior in red-trimmed garb that had metal plating made into their right side comes into view from the dying embers, Level Four with 1700 Attack Points.

"Then from my hand, I play the Spell Card, Armour Ninja Art of Teleportation! The power of this card allows me to summon a ninja monster from my hand! Behold, Air-Armour Ninja!"

A four-point twister emanates, before another Level Four ninja monster the same as the first one drops down, but with green garb instead of red and 1400 Attack Points.

"Due to Teleportation's effect, my ninjas can't attack...however..."

Athena felt a familiar twitch of urgency rise:

"Aw crap, don't tell me..."

"I can overlay Flame-Armour Ninja and Air-Armour Ninja! With these two monsters, I build the Overlay Network and XYZ Summon, Blade-Armour Ninja!"

A billowing twist of green light beams over the ground after the two monsters disappear, making way for another ninja-based monster that also carried the elements of a samurai, Rank Four and with 2200 Attack Points!

"Greeeaaaat, that didn't take even a few turns, did it, Astral?"

"No it did not, and that is worrisome."

"And now, Blade Armour Ninja: Attack Gagaga Magician!"

The XYZ monster breaks into a sprint forward towards the spellcaster, but Athena was more than ready.

"Not happenin'! I activate the Trap, Gagaga Shield! Now my magician is safe from being destroyed!"

And just as the ninja slashes his blade forward, Gagaga uses his new shield to block the incoming steel...

"Nice try, wise guy, but my magician ain't pullin' a Houdini anytime soon!"

"Perhaps, but you'll still feel its sting!"

Blade-Armour Ninja continues their trajectory onto Athena, but she merely positions herself for the impact, standing strong as she felt a sensation like air being cut by a pair of scissors run across her body, smirking bitterly as her Life Points drop to 3300...

"And now, by using an Overlay Unit, Blade Armour Ninja can attack again!"

A green orb bounces over the monster's katana sword, before they wall-crawl back down in a dive against Gagaga Magician, who manages to survive once more by using his shield...

"And, once again, you take damage."

The girl does not falter her expression, once again bracing herself by shifting her footwork a little for maximum traction, not even flinching as the blade came down against her torso, Life Points dropping to 2600. Tiffany cries out her friend's name in worry while Jamal mutters to himself in mild surprise,

"I still find it crazy that Addy can just do that: Take it in like water for a sponge."

Roku watches the girl's form carefully in his own calculations:

 _Hmm, so this what Homare meant about his granddaughter's odd physical condition..._

 _She truly isn't able to feel physical pain._

Kaze chose in this moment to mock Athena's moves:

"Poor fool. If you hadn't tried to protect your monster, you wouldn't have taken any damage at all."

"A minimal cost to protect a friend."

"Hm?"

The girl with red irises glares with a serious air at her opponent:

"I dunno what sort of relations you choose to have with your cards, but for me, my monsters are my friends, my teammates. I'm not just gonna toss 'em down on the field like a careless chess player. They get me like I get them."

She recalls back to her duel with Flip, and her interactions with Baby Tiragon...

"A deck of monsters without a reliable duelist who understands their struggles, who, can put themselves in their position, is destined for ruin. I hate to leave a good friend hanging, and love to form meaningful connections. As long as I have the backs of my friends, I know they'll have mine."

Astral and Roku each stare down at Athena in awe for her little speech, while Kaze wasn't moved.

"Your friends? If you want to believe something so pathetic, go ahead, but that kind of thinking will lead to your undoing!"

"Yeah, well back at you for your bitter thoughts! Let's both channel our fury into this fight and see who comes up on top!"


	16. Embracing the Lessons of Fear, Part Two

Tuning back to where last left off, Athena had just begun a duel against one of Roku's former student's, Kaze, who came to the Duel Sanctuary to take this supposed Legendary Deck that the caretaker kept somewhere within this place. Not appreciating the arrogant bullying type, the girl with shaggy long black hair tipped copper red challenged the new face in order to protect Roku and the pride of this historic site.

Unfortunately, so far, the duel seemed to teeter towards the favour of Kaze, who chose this moment to threaten his former teacher once again to the tune of another lightning crack from the storm brewing outside.

"Roku! Once I've defeated this pathetic student of yours, I will truly be the master of this dueling sanctuary, and the Legendary deck you hold so dear will be mine, (Places two cards face-down) and then I will be unstoppable!"

Athena cuts into his boasting with an annoyed and aggravated air:

"Oh spare me your melodrama, ninja-boy; it got old before you stepped through the door...Look, I dunno why you have such a strong beef with Master Roku or why you're that desperate to get your paws on this super-strong deck, but if he says you shouldn't have it, you ain't gettin' it, get me?"

Kaze hmphs with a small sardonic smirk, before warning the teenager with a frown,

"It would be wise to rethink this duel and quit now. Trust me, do not stand in my way...for if you do, I will show no mercy, and you will feel my wrath!"

"Tch, your threat means nothing to me...for I've had bigger loudmouths dish out worse and more graphic. (Grim smirk) It doesn't matter how many times my opponent curses me: I'll give my all and won't back down 'til the end!"

That caused the young man with grey irises to raise a brow in slight surprise, while Jamal smirked proudly from hearing such words from one of his best friends.

"That's right, Addy: Show this nimrod how strong you are!"

Tiffany meanwhile, was feeling more nervous than prosperous, and asks the elder in the room,

"So, this Kaze...how good an ex-student was he?"

"He was the best student I ever had, until the darkness filled his heart and corrupted his spirit."

He then glances over Athena's form, mentally noting,

 _Which will make this duel particularly interesting, for he will be battling against someone who seems to wander the world with darkness worn on her like a cloak, protecting her light..._

"Now let's cut the dramatic chit-chat and get it on! I Draw! First, by lowering Dododo Warrior's Attack Points by 500, I can summon him straight to the field!"

On that note, an axe-raiding viking warrior jumps to the field, Level Six with 1800 Attack Points. Kaze comments with an amused smile,

"You have no idea what you're doing, do you? If you had tributed Gagaga Magician to summon Dododo Warrior, it would've come to the field with more Attack Points than my Blade Armour Ninja."

The boy with dreadlocks standing on the sidelines was wondering similarly.

"The jerk kinda has a point: Why would Addy summon Dododo alongside Gagaga if she knew they would be weaker?"

It would be Astral who found the answer:

"Athena...did you do that just to protect your magician?"

"...Maybe. You got a problem with that?"

He smile slightly with close eyes and replies,

"I do not," making Athena smile a little herself before she moves on with her turn.

"Cool. Alright, next, I activate from my hand, Full Force! With this spell, neither one of us takes damage during a battle between our monsters, but yours will meet their end! Dododo Warrior, attack Blade Armour Ninja with Dododo Axe!"

The viking-like warrior leaps into the air with his weapon at ready to chop down on the ninja...

"I activate my Trap, Armour Ninjitsu Art of Freezing!"

A shot of paralyzing light shoots to cloak Dododo Warrior, stopping him mid-swing!

"When there's a ninja monster on my field, this Trap not only stops your attack, but it binds your so-called friends so they can't change battle modes!"

On that note, both the warrior and spellcaster were bound by glowing chains, causing Athena to grit her teeth while looking at her monsters with worry shining in her red irises, while Astral notes in a mutter,

"That is not good..."

"Your efforts to stop me are in vain! You're going to fall and Roku's Legendary Deck will be mine!"

The girl calls back with a neutral expression,

"To quote my grandpa, 'those who live in houses made of glass shouldn't toss stones', Kaze...I place one card face-down and end my turn!"

"Hn, in that case, I Draw! I activate the Spell, Spy Attack! By sending one monster from my hand to the Graveyard, I gain the ability to look at a face-down card on your field. Aqua Armour Ninja: Sneak into the enemy's domain and reveal his tactics!"

A ninja dressed in blue shifts in sight long enough to dash onto Athena's face-down card, before disappearing in an explosion of smoke, causing her to cough from the fumes while Astral hms with a frown,

"Unlike you, Kaze seems to have no problems sacrificing his monsters."

"Now, show me your card..."

The face-down flips up to the man's view...

"Interesting..."

Roku mutters while looking over at Athena,

"...Be careful, dear," before turning to the following exclaim:

"Did you get Addy to do all this cleaning, Roku?! Heha, impressive work, my friend!"

He and the two other teens in the room turn around to meet the smiling face of Homare, who comments amusingly,

"I can barely get the boys to straighten their rooms!"

Adam, who came here with his grandfather and his other sibling, smiles awkwardly and chides back,

"Oh come on, grandpa, we're not that bad, are we?"

Roku smiles upon seeing the other elder:

"Homare?! Hahaha, long time no see!"

Tiffany and Jamal's focuses were on the younger men entering the room, eyeing the redhead with a particular nervousness.

"Guh! Adam, Terry!"

"Ah-heh, heeeey, Terry, what's up?"

The young adult with the black tamed mullet sends a smile and nod to the two, while the one with the asymmetric cut red hair was focused on his younger sibling with a stern glare.

"Oh hell no, this better not be what I think I'm seeing...Athena Fujina!"

Said girl jumps from the address, before turning around to face her older brother with a stoic expression.

"...Terrence."

"Didn't we have our discussions about you and Dueling?! Whadda ya think you're doing?!"

"Calm down, young man."

Terry stops berating his sister to look down at Roku with a calmer confused air, who in turn addresses the other with a similar air his grandfather had before he and the two brothers came to the Duel Sanctuary.

"You cannot stop Athena from being who she is anymore than you can stop the wind from blowing."

"Uh..."

"And as a growing duelist, your sister needs your support."

The redheaded male turns to look at his dueling sibling with a new air, while she in turn relaxes her gaze to reflect determination and a distant sadness from the silence that had been between these two for a long while now.

"...He's right, bro. I don't want anymore negativity between us...but if you're gonna keep pushing, I'll push back harder until one of us topples over. And honestly...I don't give a damn anymore."

"Addy..."

Astral then cuts in to move the girl's attention back on the battle:

"You must remain focused, Athena."

"Uh...(nod) right."

She turns to face Kaze again as he comments with a smirk,

"How nice of your family to gather like this. They're just in time to watch you suffer, a bitter defeat! Go, Blade Armour Ninja: Attack Gagaga Magician! Go Electro-Magnetic Sword Strike!"

The sword cuts down across the magician's chained torso, before they disintegrate into pixels, leaving Athena to cringe as her Life Points drop to 1900. But her opponent wasn't done:

"Swift like a hummingbird, Blade Armour Ninja whirls around as I use its Overlay Unit to attack again! Bid farewell to your friend Dododo Warrior!"

A diving attack from above brings down the viking warrior, invoking a further drop of the girl's Life Points to 1500...

"Thanks to my Spy Attack, I know that your face-down is Gagaga Back, which can resurrect your monsters in exchange for 600 Life Points each. _Use it_ , little gnat; save your precious friends!"

Jamal calls out in protest,

"Don't do it, Addy! It's not worth the 1200 loss when you're already that close to zero!"

Tiffany nods in agreement, worry dancing in her eyes...

"Now let's really test the limits of your foolish devotion! I reveal the Armour Ninjitsu Art of Rust Mist Spell Card! As long as I have a ninja monster in play, the Attack Points of each monster you summon are sliced in half!"

Athena curses quietly, before Kaze inquires in a mocking fashion,

"Are you still willing to do whatever it takes to honour your little friends, even when they're rendered weak and useless?"

"...Considering that I've come close to dying more than once protecting a friend or some random, innocent kid from being literally beaten to death, then yes."

That answer made the room go quiet with a chilled air, and Athena drew in a deep breath as she thought aloud about her time as an underground fighter.

"There was a time where I was as numb as the cold waters of the arctic, and yet...not so numb that I'd completely forget moments of compassion, caring for people other than myself. During a tag fight, I did most of the heavy lifting, and took the more severe hits for my temporary partner. If I saw someone getting unfairly jostled around by some punks after a day of searching for a spiritual painkiller, I'd interfere without a second thought to the add-on injuries...And during Duel Fist, if there was an opportunity to step in and use my own body to shield my monsters, I'd take it. Why? (Bitter chuckle) Because I simply didn't care about my own life. I was, worthless in my own eyes."

The girl's family and friends on the sidelines could only stare with shock from her words, before she shakes her head and adds with a grim smile,

"But that was then, and this is now. Maybe there's a small part of me remaining that still doesn't care about my own life, but one thing that's never changed, is my willingness to act as a human shield for those who need it. No one, not even you, Kaze, will ever persuade me to think otherwise. (Holds out her hand) I activate Gagaga Back! When Gagaga Magician's destroyed in battle, this card allows me to bring him back along with any allies who perished with him."

Said monsters rise from the hex symbol that opened from the Graveyard, before Athena shuts her eyes and braces herself.

"Now for my penalty: 600 points of damage for each one of my monsters brought back."

(Bzzzzzzt)

...The girl with red irises didn't flinch as she's zapped by electric currents from both her spellcaster and warrior, before she kneels down on one knee to gulp in a breath or two as her Life Points settle to 300. Her brother Terry exclaims,

"Uh! Addy!"

Adam mutters just as concerned,

"She's barely holding on with 300 Life Points..." Tiffany wonders,

"What now?"

Kaze then cries out,

"You may have revived your monsters, but now the power of Rust Mist slices their Attack Points in half!"

With that done, Gagaga Magician was now sporting 750 Attack Points while Dododo Warrior's dropped to 1150!

"Your move, little gnat."

Athena rose to her feet with little to no issues, glaring neutrally at her opponent who then asks,

"Are you feeling foolish yet? Your monsters have been weakened and you're hanging on by a very thin thread. Hehuhuh, the bond you have with your monsters has made you weak."

"Hmph, spoken like someone whose obviously walked around with no one to call a friend."

Kaze grits his teeth slightly from the accusation, but the girl kept pressing.

"Come on, admit it: That's why you're saying friendship's for losers, right, because you don't have any?"

"Why would I bother relying on anybody than myself? I'm strong enough to stand on my own! I'm certainly not befriending any of my monsters! The old man's teachings are nonsense: Dueling is about controlling your monsters and bending them to do your will!"

Athena felt something in the back of her head buzz from the tone Kaze was using, recalling another individual whose heart had long wallowed in darkness and continues to this day.

 _(Flash)_

 _"Tch, friends are just potential backstabbers. What I've got is flunkies, minions, people who respect me and know to never cross me."_

 _"Out of fear, you mean?"_

 _"Same diff, Berserker, same diff...Fear is the strings I use to control my people, and they know to either follow my orders, or face total annihilation."_

 _"You, paint quite the vivid picture, Trilos."_

 _(Flash)_

"...That's not what Dueling is about, and you're a fool to ever, and I mean ever, think the way you do right now!"

"You talk a big talk, like you're full of fire. But you're nothing more than a candle in the wind, desperately trying to hold on...Soon, you will be extinguished."

"This 'candle' is about to turn into a wildfire, fueled by your words of hate! I Draw! (Looks at the card) Oh yeah! I activate the Gagaga Bolt Spell Card! With Gagaga Magician on the field, he gets to destroy one of your cards! Target: Blade Armour Ninja!"

Said spellcaster lunges forward and slams his body against the ninja warrior, who falls back before disintegrating into pixels from the power, much to Kaze's anger.

"Why you little...!"

"Not done yet, 'cause now you're wide open to a direct attack from Gagaga! Do your thing, my friend!"

The magician continues forward, and slams his bound body against Kaze, who falls backwards through the air as his Life Points drop to 3250...

"Seeing as we're on a roll anyway, Dododo Warrior can swing in for a direct attack too!"

Said viking warrior charges forward, but that was when his target rushes back to his feet with a growl.

"I don't think so! I activate Aqua Armour's ability from the Graveyard! By banishing this card, it stops your monster's attack!"

Dododo Warrior slows to a stop...but Athena smirks before informing Kaze,

"You wish! Dododo Warrior has the ability to cancel out all Spell, Trap and Monster Effects when he attacks!"

"What?!"

"Your Rust Mist and Aqua Armour Ninja's ability do jack! Show 'em your resolve, Dododo!"

Said monster struggles before bursting free from the chains, his Attack Points rising back to 2300!

"Attack Kaze directly!"

 _"Dododo Axe!"_

The monster's weapon is tossed like a boomerang to hit Kaze right in his torso, who drops to his knees with heavy breath as his Life Points descend to 950.

"Ha! You see? That's the strength that comes from believing in your friends and having their backs no matter what! I place one card face-down and end my turn."

After setting down the card, Athena turns to send a small smile at Astral.

"Heh, not bad for a rookie like me, eh?"

He nods with a small smile of his own, before both focus up front with serious expressions as the girl goes to berate Kaze's attitude further.

"You choose to use your monsters as no more than tools, but look where that's gotten you. I choose to see my monsters as friends, allies, those I can count on like they can count on me. I'll never toss them aside for a slight advantage. We advance together! Master Roku's teachings are spot-on: Respecting your deck is the only way to get far in the Dueling World."

Kaze struggles to his feet while bitterly retorting,

"Whatever. So you lucked out this time. You think that proves something? Mark my words, little gnat: One day you'll look around, and your friends are gonna be gone! It's just gonna be you all alone, with no one to rely on and you're gonna be scared, and you're gonna wish you weren't so foolish as to depend on someone else!"

That's when Athena spots it: A flash of red energy in the ninja's eyes.

 _Uh! Wait...Is it, possible, that Kaze has-_

"And now, it's my Draw! I activate a Spell Card...The power of this Spell allows me to destroy every Ninjitsu Art on my field!"

"And why would you do that?"

"Because doing so allows me to draw two new cards from my hand..."

With Art of Freezing and Rust Mist gone, Gagaga Magician and Dododo Warrior were free and had their original Attack Points restored (1500 and 2300 respectively)...Yet, Athena was feeling cautious with this new turn.

"What are you tryin' to pull now?"

"When you have monsters on your field but I don't, I can summon Earth Armour Ninja to the field..."

On that note, a Level Five ninja with 1600 Attack Points cloaked brown with metal armour jumps to Kaze's side of the field.  
The girl with red irises hms with a frown while the being with mismatched gold and white irises mutters,

"This strategy worries me..."

"You and me both, Astral..."

"Next, I activate the Armour Ninjitsu Art of Revival Spell Card from my hand! This allows me to summon one ninja from my Graveyard, so say hello to Flame Armour Ninja!"

The warrior cloaked in red returns to greet the field once more, before Kaze adds,

"And when it is successfully summoned, its Level increases by one. Huh."

He holds up his right fist...and both Astral and Athena would gasp when they see a very familiar numeral symbol imprinted on his wrapped hand (twelve to be precise)!

"His hand...! He must have a Number Card!"

"Aw come on, really?!"

Kaze's body is enveloped in the red/purple aura that warranted the sign of the Number's control over his desires.

"You tried hard, girl, but now, you're finished! I'm going to crush you! I overlay Earth Armour Ninja and Flame Armour Ninja!"

Both ninja monsters shift into orange-brown and red streams of light respectively, before diving into the golden galactic vortex...

"With these two monsters, I build the Overlay Network! I XYZ Summon, Number 12: Crimson Shadow Armour Ninja!"

The Number Monster that came to the field, Rank Five with 2400 Attack Points, was a ninja enveloped in various red-shaded armour, ankle-length, thick orange-red hair, and held one of three long blades in its right hand with a dangerously-sharp tip!

Athena's POV

 _Damn, that is one crazy-dangerous looking Number!_

 _...And...their guise..._

 _(Flash)_

 _I'm backed into a wall, eyes wide with fear, staring up at...that monster, the red, something from elsewhere in this universe._

 _(Flash)_

 _Gh! (Shakes head) Get a hold of yourself, Athena! You're..._

 _You're not there anymore. It can't hurt you...yet, why didn't it?_

 _How did I escape from that monster?_

Kaze's confirmed-to-be-irrational boasting cuts into the new questions that were stirring into my brain.

"The Crimson Shadow has shown me that true power is about rage and might! Strength above everything!"

I mutter to myself with narrowed eyes and some sadness in my tone,

"This Number's really corrupted his heart. He doesn't seem to be fully aware of what he's saying anymore...Hah, okay, this is where the fight really begins."

"So this is the monster that's been feeding off of Kaze's anger..."

I send a quick nod over to Master Roku, and caught sight of my brother Terry's face, who actually seemed real interested in this duel, making me smile slightly on the inside...

"Prepare to crumble in the wake of true power! Crimson Shadow, attack Gagaga Magician!"

 _Uh! Shoot!_

Astral calls,

"Athena, quickly, your Trap Card!"

"Right! I activate my Guts Guard Trap Card! This allows me to stop Crimson Shadow from attacking Gagaga, and switch targets to Dododo, and he in turn is protected from being destroyed in battle!"

My magician shifts out of the way for my warrior to block the incoming sword, while I held an arm up to shield myself from the impacting power as my Life Points drop to 200...

"Kh, now you finally know what true power looks like!"

I growl at Kaze before moving to rest on one knee so I could collect myself, but not before shouting,

"True power? Don't make me laugh: That was just a tantrum blast from an angry toddler!"

Looking down, however, I felt a familiar fleeting feeling of self-doubt very, very slowly creep into my spine.

"Still...I may be safe now, but it's gotta be this next turn for me that I swing a comeback...otherwise-"

"Addy, hang in there! You've got this!"

I glance over at Tiffany, who was looking at me with a beseeching determination, making me feel a bit stronger.

 _Tiff..._

I then notice Grandpa and Jamal exchange a few words I couldn't decipher, before my best guy friend suddenly heads out of the room with a smile.

 _Huh? Jamal?_

I wouldn't have much time to wonder, when Kaze suddenly taunts,

"What's wrong? No peppy line about hugs and sunshine?! No rousing speech about chumming it up with your monsters?!"

Grinding my teeth, I bark back while rushing to my feet,

"Shut up! It's obvious the only way to get through to you is a good boot to the head, which I'm more than happy to deliver!"

But I must've gotten to my feet too fast, for I suddenly felt a wave of dizziness threaten to overtake me, forcing me to set a palm on my hip to steady myself before using that same free hand to rub my eyes.

 _Dammit..._

"Do not let his words anger you to the point of distraction, Athena. Remember that you are not alone: You have got your friends behind you."

I turn to look at Astral, before recalling what Roku said to me the other day.

 _(Flash)_

 _"...When you learn to make that fear your own, and when you master how to tame it, only then will you truly be able to move a monster."_

 _(Flash)_

 _...To move a monster...Move, with a monster._

I suddenly found myself gazing around the room at the wooden statues of the Legendary Duel Monsters, my imagination putting colour and life into their bodies, with Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl both sending me comforting smiles...

"I understand that when your back is against the wall, you may feel outnumbered...but you are not. When you have friends, you are never alone...You can do it."

 _...He's right. I've allowed the feeling of being overwhelmed to take over my sense of reason in dire situations for too long._

 _It's time to grasp Fear's hand, and let it guide me to Bravery._

My gaze locks with Gagaga Magician and Dododo Warrior:

"I'm with you two to the end...You guys with me?"

They each send me a nod, making me smirk in good nature before I turn to say to Astral,

"You're absolutely right. As long as I remember where I stand, and who's still with me when the road gets rough, nothing's impossible...Now to put this rising determination to good use, and take this ninja wannabe down!"

"...Addy!"

"Hm?"

I turned around to the sound of Jamal calling for me, and saw him toss me a small bundle.

"What the-"

"Duel Fuel!"

Catching the surprise bundle, I open it up to find...several squares of Mochi!

"Aw sweet! You're the best, Jamal!"

He just sends me a grin and thumbs-up, while I gobble down the rice treats, feeling more fired up to win this match.

"Oh yeah, I'm ready to carve my path to victory! I Draw! (Looks at card) Oh-hoh, you're in big trouble now, ninja-boy...I now activate the Spell, Decrease! This card allows me to lower one of my monster's Levels by two, so now Dododo Warrior's matching Gagaga Magician at Level Four! Then, I can overlay both my friends to build the Overlay Network, and XYZ Summon Number 39: Utopia!"

I felt my heart flutter with that old feeling of Joy as my main Number came to join the battle...

"Everything is set up. You can do it."

"You bet I can, Astral! Go, Utopia: Attack Crimson Shadow Armour Ninja!"

Utopia's blade comes spinning into view to be grabbed by his hand...

"Go, Rising Sun Slash!"

One clean cut own the middle, and Number 12 was taken out, while the trajectory of the attack hits Kaze and his Life Points drop to 850. I call over with a smirk,

"Keh, bet that stung, huh Kaze?"

"Rrrgh, you worm...you're nothing! You will not defeat me like this! By using one Overlay Unit, Crimson Shadow returns to the field!"

But seeing the Number revive only made my smirk grow:

"Thought you'd do something like that, which is why I had this Spell ready, Revenge Attack!"

"So when your monster attacks but fails to destroy its opponent in battle, Revenge Attack activates and increases its power."

"That's right, Astral: Utopia's Attack Points rise to the tune of 1000 before coming in for another swing!"

Kaze exclaims with a gruff growl,

"It what?!"

I just laugh at his expression before turning to watch Utopia's strength rise to 3500...while also noticing a new light casting onto the field.

 _Hm? Where's that sunlight comin' from?  
_

 _Unless...it might be Utopia's doing...I think._

I sense Astral hover close to me, and we both look at one another before nodding firmly, and announce with raised hands,

"This is where we win the duel!"

"Go, Utopia!"

"(Both) Attack with Rising Sun Slash!"

Our monster tosses his blade downward in a boomerang, taking the blinding light with it to destroy Crimson Shadow in a flash of golden yellow!

"This can't be! Aaaaaaaaggggghhhhhhh!"

Kaze would fall soon after, his Life Points skydiving to zero, making me victor of this duel...

I then watch as Astral extracts Number Twelve from the man's being, the numeral symbol twelve vanishing in a burst of light.

 _Glad that's over..._

"Addy!"

"Hm?"

I turn around to smile-smirk at my approaching BFFs, and quirk,

"Hey guys. Not bad, eh?"

"Not bad?! That was great!"

"Better than great; it was awesome!"

We laugh a little, and I catch Astral giving me a small nod and what I think might have been a proud smile on his face. For reasons unknown to me, it made my heart flutter seeing that expression coming from him, and I quickly glance away from his eyes while fighting back this ridiculous urge to...blush.

 _What the hell's wrong with me? I've, never felt flustered like this before..._

 _...No, not flustered. Something else...but what?_

"You definitely pulled off another close call there, Addy."

I snapped out of my confusion to Jamal's voice and reply with a slight stutter coming down from that brief...whatever that was,

"H-Huh? Oh, yeah, I guess it was another one of those close-type duels, huh?"

"Any closer and you'd be sprawled on the floor."

I widen my eyes from his tease while Tiffany giggles a bit, before I smirk at him annoyed and hold up a mock fist.

"Oi, watch it, wise-guy; them's fightin' words!"

That just made the three of us laugh more...until my ears pick up on the sound of someone breathing heavy in a raging manner. I turn back to where Kaze was...and saw that he was on his feet once again, readying his katana while standing in front of what I now can identify as the Blade Armour Ninja wood carving.

 _What is he...Uh! No!_

I wasted no time, and quickly ran over just as the blade came swinging down...

(GRASP)

"Addy!" "Athena, no!"

Luckily, I was fast enough to reach Kaze, and made one of those ballsy moves involving using my bare hands to stop the incoming blade, catching it between my palms! Course, what I didn't completely account for was how I gripped the sword, which would cost me some cutting into the skin of my right palm, thankfully none too deep, my blood dripping onto the floor between out bodies.

Kaze seemed a bit frazzled at first when he catches the dripping crimson from my hand, but shook it off before barking at me gruffly,

"Get out of the way and release my sword!"

"Screw you and get this through your head, you crazy: Destroying all in your way's not gonna make that anger boiling in your heart go away like that!"

I grit my teeth as I thought of my own experience in going against the world.

"Don't act like you're the only one who's been betrayed by our own species, because that's a load of bull...We all run into that problem at some point in our lives, some minor, some severe...But just because one bad experience hinders your trust in the world, doesn't mean you have to let it cloud your judgement entirely. That's an easy way to make too many enemies...and push you that much closer, to ending up as another dead body on the streets."

This time, something seemed to click inside Kaze's brain, and there's a pause...before he reveals,

"I was betrayed once by my friends...I had nowhere to turn. So I came to Roku, to find a new direction...He spoke about respecting my monsters, and trusting them...but...Uh! I, lashed out in anger..."

He drops his grip from his katana, and I release the bladed end to allow it to clank to the ground entirely, moving to hold my injured right palm in my other hand. My eyes were on Kaze's kneeling and defeated-looking form, his tone taking a pained drop.

"I just...I can't do it. After what I've been through...I just, can't. I dunno how to trust, anyone..."

I felt a sympathetic frown grace my lips:

"Kaze..."

That was when Master Roku stepped over to us and softly clapped the other's shoulder with a chiding smile.

"You can still learn how, my boy. It is never too late for that."

The man who radiated ninja looks at the elder in surprise, before bowing in respect.

"Master..."

I smiled slightly, adding in my own thoughts,

"He's right, and if not him, take it from me: Turning your back on the world doesn't do a lick of good for anybody. It's better to face it with your head held high. Show the haters that you can make your mark no matter what they'll try to do to stop you."

Kaze looks up at me with a somewhat awkward smile, likely not used to hearing advice from someone younger than him.

"Per-haps you're right..."

Small Time Skip

Once the stormy clouds were gone to give way for the rays of the sunset, we'd all be standing outside the Sanctuary ready to go and part from Master Roku and Kaze, the latter now dressed in a simpler ninja garb.

"Kaze is going to stay here and continue his training."

I nod with a smiling smirk:

"Sweet! I'll be sure to remember to swing by sometime in the future for a new duel. Maybe you can even show me some of your moves with that katana of yours."

Kaze smiles slightly and replies,

"We'll see. By the way, I'm sorry again for the injury on your palm."

I hold up my bandaged right hand with a casual wave:

"Oh this? Nah, I'm fine; just a shallow cut. Partly my fault for grabbing your blade the wrong way."

Everyone sweatdrops from my brush-off, before I'm suddenly meeting eye-to-eye with my redheaded brother, who was giving me one of his famous stern expressions.

"...So, despite my campaigns, you've been dueling behind my back, have you?"

I muster up a neutral expression and bravely reply,

"Yes, I have...Are you going to ground me?"

"...No."

 _What?_

My face shifted to express shock, while Terry gives me an apologetic smile.

"I, finally understand that trying to put a saddle on the wild stallion that's my sister is impossible, and not the right way to help protect you...You can duel all you want, Athena."

"Really?"

"Really really. Just, promise me you'll work on being more careful so we can keep any trips to the hospital to a minimum?"

 _Terry..._

I give my older brother a big hug, surprising him, and I reply in a sincere whisper,

"Promise...and, thank you."

With that out of the way, I turn to Jamal, who gives me a big grin and exclaims,

"Awesome! No more bro-dodgin'!"

I laugh a little with him while Terry shoots us an annoyed smirk, before Master Roku cuts in to present something to me.

"I want you to have this, Athena."

"Hm?"

I turn to see that he was holding out...a deck of Duel Monster Cards.

"Uh! Is, that what I think it is...?"

"This is the Sanctuary's Legendary Deck. I think you and the monsters in it will get along splendidly."

"Really?"

"Really."

My eyes connect briefly with Kaze, remembering how much he really wanted it behind his old burn of anger, but he merely smiled and nodded, giving me the further green light to take the deck from Master Roku's hands to hold in my own.

 _Wow, this is so unbelievably awesome...!_

Jamal was pretty excited for me too:

"Nice one, girl! You'll totally power up your deck with these bad boys, and just in time for the World Duel Carnival!"

"Ah! That's right!"

That caught the Sanctuary keeper's attention:

"Ooo! Are you planning on entering a Dueling Tournament?"

Smirking, I nod to Master Roku and reply,

"I'm definitely goin' for it! Me and my monsters are gonna mark our place among the greats! Right, Astral?"

...That's when I clue into the absence of the blue-skinned being from beyond this world.

"...Astral?"

 _Must've dived into the key...Wonder why?_

Astral's POV

I had retreated back inside Athena's pendant at around the time she, her family and friends were making their way out of the Dueling Sanctuary, and could sense a new wave of excitement radiate into this temporal space from her being...

As much as a part of myself wanted to join her in the good feeling...I unfortunately have yet to fully overcome my own issues regarding what had brought us to the shrine in the first place.

 _It seems Athena has gotten her confidence back..._ _That is a good thing._

 _If we are to defeat Kite, we must both believe we can win._

 _...I must work on that._


	17. Hope For the Future, Part One

A few more days come and go steadily for the people of Heartland City, but inside a small stone arena of sorts under the property of someone's home, one individual was about to meet their end in a duel for Numbers.

"Aaaa-uuuooh!"

A young male with shoulder-length, wavy light blue hair is thrown backwards by an attack from his opponent, also male but older and considerably taller, wearing a long black cloak with a deep v-neck and a hood that shadowed some of his face, their skin chalk pale and highlighting his red lips, blue markings under his eyes, kohl black eyeliner and sneaks of orange-yellow hair cut short and styled to show his forehead.

"Your fate has been sealed. It is useless to try and re-write what was already written in the stars many years ago. You believed that you would achieve greatness, but you're nothing more than a pawn in a bigger game beyond comprehension...And now, you will give which that I seek."

The youth with blue hair glances up at the other's Number, which appeared to have the guise of a cylinder cone with one giant gleaming eye and a ring surrounding it like a planet, before struggling to his feet with his last wind of determination.

"This, isn't over! Number 16: Shock Master, Attack!"

His XYZ, which held the appearance of what looks to be a mahogany-coloured, polygonal graphic aviary creature, charges forward to take down the other Numeral, but their wielder only grinned, while the giant eye glowed red...

Moments later, the duel concludes with the bluenette youth sitting under the loser's label, and he asks the other male while slowly pushing himself up from the stone floor,

"Mrh, hey, who are you? Tell me!"

The tall figure, who had a very dark aura ringing around his body, replies mysteriously,

"You need not worry your hapless self about who I am, but who I have sworn allegiance to."

"And who's that?"

"I serve in pleasure of the great Master Kite, and it is for him that I not only take your Number Card, but your very being!"

And much like what happened at the mall to that young punk, the bluenette would become another victim of that ghostly blue hand diving into his torso to take away not only his Number Card, but his very Soul!

"Aaaaaaaaaagh!"

His appearance shifts, reflecting that of a vegetative old man, while the tall male in black chuckles, retracting the card and their holder's very soul to himself, before turning to address a familiar figure sitting in a chair above the little arena.

"Your bidding has been done, my master. Another Number Card has been obtained."

...But was that figure on the throne truly Kite?

Only time will tell us that answer.

Time Skip

"Hah, made it here in record-time!"

We now shift our gaze to the courtyard of the Heartland Dueling Academy, just as Athena, wearing her red/black jogging outfit with white ankle socks and her black sneakers with blue laces weaved in this round, comes running in for a new morning at school. Once she steadies her breath, she reaches into her backpack and pulls out her cased duel deck, opening it up to gaze fondly at the monsters inside.

"Hope you guys are as psyched as I am for some dueling today. Let's get out there and show these other students what we're made of!"

...That was when the girl with red irises noticed her blue-skinned companion looked less than enthusiastic about the prospects of dueling, arms crossed and eyes cast to the ground in a depressive manner.

"...Astral?"

"Uh!"

He snaps his head up to meet his mismatched eyes with Athena, who then asks,

"You alright? You look like one of those kids who knows they did bad on their entrance exam..."

"Um...It is nothing, Athena."

"Hmph, I don't buy that. Come on, spill: What's the matter?"

Before Astral could open his mouth to reply:

"Addy!"

Tiffany, Jamal and Caswell come rushing over to meet with their friend, who waves at them with a casual smirk.

"Mornin', guys. What's up?"

But the expression that reigned on the girl with blue eyes and bobbed black hair reflected an opposite mood.

"Something serious is going down. That's 'what's up'."

"Huh? What're you talkin' about?"

Tiffany grabs Athena's hand and gently pulls her away from the public area of the courtyard to over behind one of the buildings while replying,

"Let's not talk where there's too many possible eavesdroppers. This way."

"Hoh boy, I'm already getting a sinking feeling about this..."

A few minutes later, the girl with long, shaggy black hair tipped copper red was gaping at a police report Tiffany's father allowed his daughter to copy onto her duel disk to show her friends as a precaution to stay vigilant...

"What the frack?! What happened to these people?!"

"No one knows all the details for sure..." Caswell adds after Tiffany,

"They all went missing at some point, and ever since they were found, they seemed to have aged or something, and they just stare off into space!"

Jamal comments with a shiver,

"It's creepy, like they've turned into comatose zombies..."

The boy with pear-green eyes and bowl-cut blue hair then says,

"Athena, these people only have one thing in common: They're duelists."

"And while Dad and his team haven't necessarily made this connection, Caswell and I discovered that before these people went missing, they had each found a Number Card."

Athena's eyes widen:

 _Damn...!_

Astral's breath hitches on alert, as Caswell summarizes,

"In the end, Addy, since you and Astral possess a few Numbers, it stands to reason that you two are in danger."

"...I know, because I already was in danger in becoming one of these people."

The three other teens widen their eyes in surprise, before Athena draws in a big breath to brace herself in revealing what she knows.

"Listen, all of you: There's, something I had wanted to tell you before...but, I didn't because I felt that 'no news is good news' was a better way of protecting you."

"What do you mean, Addy?"

"What have you been keepin' secret?"

Astral floats down closer to the girl's side and asks uncertainly,

"Athena...are you sure telling them about Kite is wise?"

She nods and replies,

"I'm sure, Astral. (Focuses up front) Hah, okay, let's wait until Lunch before you all start badgering me with questions since class is gonna start soon. Sound good?"

Tiffany, Jamal and Caswell reply in awkward unison,

"Um...okay."

Small Time Skip

Turning our attention now to the roof of one of the Academy's buildings during Lunch hour, Athena would then tell her friends Tiffany, Jamal and Caswell about what happened several days ago involving her encounter with Kite, while also making a mental note to track down her other two friends Flip and Caden to warn them about the Number Hunter as well...

"What?!"

"So, you bent the details of what happened after I didn't see you when the truck barreled past?"

"And that jerk just snagged you into a duel even after witnessing you getting bruised by those Fallen Star punks?! That's dirty!"

Athena, who was sitting in front of the water tower atop a rectangle structure, was quite shocked that her friends weren't bristled by the fact that she had been keeping the truth from them, instead directing their anger at the hardhearted blond of topic.

"So, you guys aren't mad? I mean, I did keep the truth from you..."

Their expressions soften a little, before Jamal, who was sitting with one arm draped across his bent knee, replies with a minuscule smirk,

"Mm, maybe a bit, but we understand that you were doing it to keep us safe. And considerin' what you and Astral went through...it'd make sense you'd need time to gather your thoughts."

Caswell, sitting cross-legged near the boy with dreadlocks, comments with his own smile of reassurance,

"In the end, good friends can never stay angry at one another for too long."

"Guys..."

Tiffany then cuts in with a worried frown on her lips, her seat being Athena's left while lazily kicking her legs over the edge.

"But getting back to topic: This, Kite...he really confessed to being responsible for what happened to that punk at the mall, that he, (gulp) extracted their soul along with the Number?"

Athena's lips form a glaring frown directed at the ground:

"Afraid so, and it wouldn't be unreasonable to say he did in those people in the police reports the same way. I never saw the action, mind you, but...his eyes and tone were screaming all serious."

"I...I see."

Jamal then wonders with a hand under his chin,

"The big question is why is this guy even tryin' to get all the Numbers? They don't exactly do alot of good for anybody but Astral since they're a part of his memory...What's he tryin' to prove?"

That made the other three teens hm in thought, Athena gazing at her friends with a relived and grateful smile.

 _Thank you, god, for giving me such understanding friends..._

She then remarks with some confidence,

"Well, whatever his reasons are, I'm not gonna bother with mullin' around too long trying to figure them out. Next time we meet, Astral and I can, and will put him in his place."

Said being asks in a dulled tone while his back was turned from the girl,

"And how do you propose that we, 'put him in his place'?"

Athena scowls at him before asking back,

"Oh for god's sake, are you trying to tell me you're still scared of that creep?"

Astral flinches from the accusation, confirming her thoughts, before Caswell cuts in with his own.

"You can't really blame him for being so wary, Addy: His life is basically always on the line every time the two of you engage in a duel for Numbers."

"So what? I've shaken hands with Death before and you don't see me crawlin' in a hole to hide."

Jamal argues with a dark-humoured smirk,

"Yeah well, it's not like any of us here can top your daredevil confidence, Addy. It's a wonder you haven't needed bone surgery yet."

Tiffany reaches over to whack him upside the head:

"Jamal!"

"Ouch! What? I'm just sayin'..."

Athena shakes her head in her own amusement, before turning to eye Astral with a lecturing expression.

"Wariness or not, it doesn't give you the excuse to suddenly turn chicken on me, Astral, especially what we've already been through in searching for your lost memories. If you want to recover them all, you're just gonna have to suck it up and prepare yourself for tougher situations like this one involving Kite."

The blue being finally turns around to face the girl, firing back in his own seriousness,

"And what happens if we lose? Kite gets to add your soul to his growing collection, and I will vanish to who-knows-where."

"That's precisely why we shouldn't focus on those thoughts, Astral! It only guarantees the scenario!"

(Click, click)

"Hm?"

Athena stops herself when she hears the sound of shoes coming up the ladder to where she and her friends were sitting, and turns to see the familiar cat-eared, pageboy-cut sandy/gray hair of Caden!

"Uh...hello, Addy, a-and everyone else."

"Whoa! Cade, hey...When'd you get up here?"

"(Blush) You, remember my name...U-Uhm, and to answer your question, two minutes ago."

"With help from me!"

Flip's face suddenly pops up beside Caden with a beaming smile, his outburst causing everyone on the roof to jump a little.

"Yipe!" "Flip!"

"Wait...since when do you two know eachother?"

Once the two additions to the group pull themselves onto the rooftop, the cat-like boy with sharp brown irises answers Jamal's question while rubbing the back of his head with a sheepish smile.

"Heh, well, actually, Flip and I are partners in Science Class."

Said shorter male with the round spectacles chimes in,

"And Caden here's a savant at the subject too, especially with Biology!"

"Oh come on now, I'm not that good..."

"Hah, there you go again, bein' Mister Modesty...But moving onto why we came here: We overheard you guys talking about something to do with those Number Cards and got curious."

Tiffany shoots Flip an annoyed and scolding expression:

"It's not nice to eavesdrop, Flip."

"Hey! We've got the right to know what's going on, don't we? Cade and I are Addy's friends too!"

Said girl with red irises holds her hands up in a call-for-peace manner and says,

"Alright, settle down, you two...He's right, Tiff: Flip and Cade have the right to know about Kite and the Number Hunting activity."

Caden quirks his head to the side in a confused manner:

"Huh? Number Hunting?"

"It's kind-of a long story. Here, lemme start from the beginning..."

...We now cut briefly to the inside of an old, castle-like manor built smaller than the Katherine Residence, where that same cloaked man from before was supposingly speaking with the Number Hunter of subject, kneeling on the stone ground of the area below the seated.

"Master Kite, I present to you my latest conquest. Number 16: Shock Master...Now, let us find out what fate holds next. I bring forth, my fortuneteller's deck..."

The tall figure spreads out a deck of cards, and began to glimpse into the future...

"The deck is showing me the signs: Stray Lambs in the dark...Their shepherd will come looking for them. She will bring us another Number."

He chuckles darkly as his body is wrapped in that shadowed aura, his hand holding his own signature Number (11) between fingertips with sharp blue nails...

Tiffany's POV

It's now afterschool, and my friends Jamal and Caswell are just exiting the classroom with me while we watch Athena move on ahead of us, throwing a casual wave.

"Well, I got a few errands to run for gramps, so I'll catch you guys later!"

We all wave back...and as soon as I couldn't see my gal pal anymore, I let out a worried sigh while muttering,

"I dunno how she isn't so concerned about that Number Hunter, but then again, Addy's always been fearless..."

"...Say, Tiff."

"Hm?"

I turn to Jamal, and he and Caswell exchange glances with nods before he says to me,

"Me and Cas have an idea that might help in easing all our minds in this new Number business..."

They lead me out of the hallways to a quiet part of the outside area, before telling me about their new idea...

"...Number Seekers Anonymous?"

"Yeah! Heh, I know the title sounds kind-a silly, but it's better than the first name we came up with..."

 _I'm not even gonna ask about that..._

Caswell holds up one of his pointer fingers in a matter-of-fact fashion before alliterating,

"The point remains: If Addy isn't going to make herself more cautious, we'll just have to make up for her ourselves, and uncover more of the mystery behind these Number Cards."

(Rustle)

"Did someone say mystery~?"

"Gah!"

I jump as Flip suddenly pokes out from the cover of one of the trees, before hopping down to the ground while chiming,

"I lo~ve a good mystery. I am requesting membership in your club."

The boys and I look to one another for a moment, before Jamal turns to nod at Flip.

"Sure, why not? Hey, come to think of it, Flip, weren't you under the Number's influence at one point?"

 _Oh! That's right: He stole Utopia and Leviathan away during his and Addy's duel._

Our bespectacled friend nods as he confirms,

"I was! And I'd be more than happy to tell you what I remember from my experience."

I urge,

"And? What can you tell us?"

"The truth is I remember, absolutely nothing!"

...Jamal, Caswell and I flop over in exasperation as the former comments with a chagrin,

"Gee, thanks, man. That helps."

"Um, hello."

"Hm?"

We turn to the right and saw Caden had arrived, politely requesting,

"I would like to join your new secret club as well, i-if that's alright."

Given that he was given the full story with the rest of us on the rooftop at lunchtime, it was only fair that we let him in on the new plan as well.

"(Nod) No problem, Cade."

We then moved to walk out of the campus area, just as he brings up something regarding the influencing power of the Number Cards.

"Building on the conversation we had on the rooftop at lunch, during Duel Period, I spoke with Mister Kay, and the boy Nelson Andrews via duel gazer (don't ask me how I got the contact info...) who also possessed Numbers to inquire about what they might remember during their time as holders of said cards."

"You did?"

"Mhm, and their stories checked out the same as Flip's: Neither of them remember what happened after touching the Number Cards."

 _Interesting...and yet, from what Addy described, it seems Kite is immune to the influence._

Caswell hums my thoughts similarly:

"So it would seem that their power is great enough to wipe away the memories of their hosts after they've been defeated. Yet somehow, Kite's will is stronger...I wonder if the people who lost their souls could tell similarly?"

Flip pipes,

"Not like we can really ask them since they can't talk, or even acknowledge the world for that matter..."

We all nod grimly in agreement, before Jamal concludes,

"Okay, this is a good start, but maybe now would be a good time to track more leads."

I form a determined smile and reply,

"Sounds like a plan to me. We can do this, you guys, as Number Seekers Anonymous!"

We all cheer,

"Alright! Let's go, for Addy and Astral!"

Time Skip, No POV

So for the next few days, our group of five amateur investigators would be combing throughout Heartland City during after school hours for clues of any kind that could help paint a clearer picture to the mystery surrounding the Number Cards and why individuals such as Kite are beginning to surface...

In Caden's case, he would employ the assistance of his feline companions, meeting with a clowder of them in a construction area.

"Some argue that dogs have the best senses for tracking...Heh, I think it's high-time we disprove that claim, wouldn't you agree?"

"(Mew, mreow...)"

For Caswell, his method involved doing a mass data search over the World Wide Web using one of the school library's computers, his eyes glued to the screen while his fingers moved at near-lightning speed over the keyboard.

 _There is certainly alot of mysteries surrounding these Number Cards...but in the end, everything has a logical explanation._

Then we have Flip, magnifying glass in hand, whose own investigations took him to places most would least expect to find any viable information, even turning over manhole covers.

 _A mystery is just a puzzle. A puzzle has pieces. Pieces fit together...but how?_

 _And what if we don't have all the pieces, or the box that tells you what the puzzle is even suppose to look like?_

 _Very curious..._

As for Jamal and Tiffany, they would split off in their own directions using the same tactic of simply asking random strangers they deemed to look intelligent enough to possibly know something from street conversations...

In the latter's case, today's route took her to the courtyard of the main monorail station.

"Um, excuse me! Uh...Haah..."

 _This is getting to be more of a chore than I thought it'd be. Hopefully, the others are having better luck today than I am..._

"Why are you running around and asking people about Number Cards?"

"Hm?"

Tiffany straightens from her exasperated bend to turn around to the addressing voice, and found Shark standing a few feet away from her, he dressed in his casual outfit contrasting her academy uniform.

"Oh, Shark! Hi. Been a while since I last saw you...Say, you wouldn't happen to know anything about the Numbers, would you? I-er, myself and some of the others, are trying to see about gathering some data Addy and Astral might not know already."

The boy hms, before replying a bit bluntly,

"All I know is that they're bad news, and you shouldn't go askin' random strangers about them."

"Uh...! Mm...If you're referring to when people act out under their influence, we already knew that...And if I may be frank, I don't think the Numbers are necessarily doing it on purpose. They just, feel lost without Astral..."

Shark pivots his head to glance at the girl whose cornflower blue irises were shielded by her lemon yellow glasses today with a raised brow of surprise from her innocent-sounding theory. He then shakes his head and replies,

"This isn't a game you wanna be playing, Tiffany. Leave it alone; go home, and it's best the others do the same."

With that, he turns to walk away, leaving the girl to call his name softly with a sad expression...

Later, when sunset begins to hit the skies in its blazing orange glory, we find the members of Number Seekers Anonymous reporting back their findings to one another by the clock in the park area, which unfortunately, was little to squat.

"So, did any of ya have luck today?" Caden sighs and says to Jamal,

"I tried to speak with some possible witnesses of the duelists who got hit by Kite, but didn't get anymore than the police already did."

Caswell nods with a frown of regret:

"Same story for me: No new leads."

"Damn, you guys are killin' me...as I'm killing myself. I got zip."

"In the end, this mystery may remain a mystery."

Tiffany puffs out her own sigh of disappointment...

"Have no fear: Flip is here!"

The four teens turn to see that their fifth secret club member had arrived, with a grin on his face nonetheless.

"Sometimes, you just gotta look in unlikely places, which is exactly what I did!"

He then leads the group to the front, vine-covered gates of a medium-sized old architecture townhouse...

"Um, where exactly did you lead us, Flip?"

He replies to the unsure Tiffany,

"I was told that this place belongs to a world-renowned fortuneteller."

Jamal exclaims with a 'hah?' expression,

"A what-now?"

Flip replies in an obvious tone,

"Uh, a fortuneteller is someone who is magical and all-knowing..."

Caden looked up at the gates with a narrowed expression, recalling,

 _Hang on...I remember: A duelist was recently found a couple blocks from here on the sidewalk in that elderly state._

 _Previously missing a few days...and he supposingly had a Number..._

 _...Something's not right. I can feel it._

(Crrreeeeak...)

Suddenly, the gates open automatically, and the one who came to greet the five teens...was noneother than the black-cloaked man who held a fortuneteller's deck and two Number Cards (possibly more depending on how long his own hunt has been going on)!

"And what have we here? Stray little lambs looking for answers and guidance? I have been expecting you. Follow me and I will lead you to the enlightenment which you are all seeking..."

Though reluctance bubbled in their hearts, the quintet follows him inside the home, and were now filing down a cobweb-dusted hallway lit ominously by several gas lights. Jamal mutters with a shiver,

"I've got a major danger alarm ringing in me, you guys..." Flip dismisses his worries:

"Probably the burrito you had for lunch."

The other three shush the two, before Tiffany quietly comments,

"This place reminds me of the medieval exhibit they had at the museum a couple months back."

"Really, 'cause this place reminds me of a haunted castle."

She elbows Jamal with an annoyed smirk for his comment, to which he'd cheekily if nervously grin back...The five were soon descending down a spiral staircase behind the supposed fortuneteller, Caswell wondering in his own bundle of nerves,

"Where's he taking us...?"

(Ka-chank, rumble...)

The heavy metal doors at the bottom give way to the man's shove, before he leads the younger ones into that same little arena from before, which we see to be made with stone tiling for the floor, a strange, round rune-like symbol in the middle, and a gigantic crystal ball sitting on a pedestal set up ahead, matching a few smaller ones acting as the light source all around the area, casting a mysterious light blue glow...

Jamal coughs and awkwardly comments while scratching the back of his dreadlocks,

"Uh, must get a good ambiance here, huh?"

Thankfully, the fortuneteller gets to the point and saves the boy from anymore possible embarrassment.

"...I know why you're here. (Turns to face them) You seek to get knowledge about something that is, troubling you."

Tiffany asks,

"Yes. How did you know?"

He holds his arms up and claims as if it were the weather,

"I see everything. What you're looking for is...Let's see..."

He holds his palms flat with one a foot above the other...just a strange, ghostly sphere manifests!

"I'm seeing, a rectangle. I'm seeing something thin...I'm seeing, a card."

The teens gasp and widen their eyes, and the fortuneteller continues.

"Not just a normal card: A powerful card. It's-no! It's not one specific card, but a type of card...I'm seeing visions of, _Numbers._ "

The man's jade green irises blink open to reveal a clouding of neon blue energy, but Jamal was more pressed with their all-knowing ability.

"But, how'd he-We didn't even mention those digits once and he somehow got it?"

Caswell whispers back in a skeptical manner,

"It's gotta be some kind of trickery," causing Flip to scold,

"Show some respect: There's no trickery in fortunetelling!"

Tiffany shakes off her surprise and steps closer to the fortuneteller to inquire more information, her determination to help her friends weighting over her nerves.

"What else does your vision foretell?"

"...These Numbers contain a great evil."

"Huh? Evil?"

"They seek to possess those who hold them. They invade their hearts and corrupt their spirits."

The girl cringes, but frowns before asking insistingly,

"But is there a reason why they're doing that? Why do they want to bother with others when, they belong to someone else's being? I need to know...so I can help Athena..."

"Hm...Tell me, who is this Athena?"

Suddenly, before she could comprehend it, Tiffany felt her will drop and her eyes glaze over from being caught under the power of the fortuneteller, before replying monotonously,

"She's our friend...and, she's been collecting Numbers for another friend, Astral, who needs them for his memory. We want to help them anyway we can, even though, she, or they, seem reluctant to accept our help, worried for us like we're worried for them..."

It was then the man cancels out the energy sphere:

"Unfortunately, my vision ends here."

"...Your vision ends here."

He steps forward and places a sharp-nailed hand on the hypnotized girl's shoulder while telling her,

"You have given me what the stars said you would, my dear little lamb. (Grin) _My master is going to be most grateful._ "

Having watched the whole scene, the boys had become concerned for their friend and all the more alert of this fortuneteller's presence.

"Hey, Tiff, we should get goin'!...Tiff?"

"Actually, I was hoping you could stick around a little..."

With that said, the man hops backwards away from the center area of the stone floor...

(Crick, crack, RUMBLE)

And just as Tiffany awoke from her stupor, she would find herself falling down a sinkhole with the others!

"Aaaaaiiiieeeee!" "Aaaaauuuuuh!"

"Gaaaah!" "Whaaaaaa!"

Thankfully, one of the five teen sleuths was light on their feet with cat-like reflexes, and Caden would hop from piece to piece out of the new giant hole before running back the way the group came, the others crying out,

"Cade, go get help!"

The fortuneteller's grin does not falter as he thinks,

 _Yes, go get help..._

Athena's POV

 _Sheesh, on my own again excluding Astral. Where has everyone been goin' lately?  
_

It's approaching another end of a day of learning at the Academy, and for the third time in a row, Tiffany, Jamal, Caswell, Caden and even Flip went AWOL on me for their own plans, whatever they are...

I'm now laying on the grass knoll bordering the river, wracking my brain for an answer to what could be going on.

 _Hm...ever since I revealed what happened with Kite, the others seem more tense than I do..._

"Haah..."

 _I wonder...is it possible they could be trying in their own circles to find more clues about the Numbers and that hunter?_

"Haah..."

 _If they are, why aren't they letting me in on it? After all, I'm the one doin' the main collecting mission for Astral._

"Haah..."

 _...And speaking of that blue pain in the neck._

I crane my neck up towards where he was floating, and call to him annoyed,

"Oi, cut the sighing, would you? That bit's getting real old real fast."

He just lets out another in reply, making me growl slightly before exclaiming while sitting up,

"Keep that up and I'll find a way to duct-tape your mouth shut!"

"...Addy!"

"Huh?"

I turn to the right upon hearing my name called, and would see Caden rushing towards me with a frantic expression on his face.

"Addy!"

 _What the hell...?_

I stand up and walk onto the pathway just as he meets with me, before he urges me,

"You have to do something, fast!"

"What're you talkin' about? What's going on, Cade?"

"It's Tiffany and the others: They-Uh!"

He suddenly cuts himself off and dips his head down in an almost limp manner, making me raise a brow before asking,

"They what? What's wrong?...Cade!"

...His head rose to reveal a stoic, puppet-like expression.

" **Cade cannot hear you right now.** "

My eyes bulge when I catch the sound of another male's voice melding over Caden's, before I narrowing them as I demand,

"Then who am I speaking to? Identify yourself!"

" **My name is Fortuno. I am a seer of all things and bring you a message on behalf of my Master, Kite.** "

 _Kite?!_

I hear Astral mutter in his own exclaim,

"Oh dear!"

" **We** **have your friends, Athena. If you want to see them again, you must come to my mansion and duel me. If you refuse my request, your friends will be...** "

I don't get anymore out of this 'Fortuno', when he suddenly cuts his hold over Caden, and I rush to catch him before he could collapse.

"Whoa, Cade!"

"Th...They'll be-Oh!"

He snaps back to normal and shoves himself off me to stand on his own again, clearly unaware of what he was forced to convey.

"Wh-What happened?! Did I black out?"

"More like you were being possessed, but that's the least of our priorities right now. Caden, can you lead me back to where you just came from?"

"Uh, right, of course. This way."

But just as the two of us were about to move out, I was called to a halt by Astral.

"Wait."

"Hm?"

"I do not like this. We cannot simply go running headfirst into what is clearly some sort of ambush."

 _...Okay, that's it: I've had it up to here with his overcautious attitude._

Grinding my teeth, I whirl around to shout back at him with a glare,

"And just what the hell do you expect me to do, stand on the sidelines like an idiot?! Hell no; not happening! Astral, everyone is in trouble 'cause of another Number! That's not something to simply ignore!"

"You cannot save them if you cannot defeat Kite!"

"Uh...!"

 _That's his focus? Seriously?!_

"Kite is skilled beyond anyone I have ever encountered. He is cunning and clever in ways that elude me."

 _...Oh god, he's really let that duel get to him._

"There is no guarantee that we can defeat him, Athena."

Frowning, I ask him in a sarcastic manner,

"So, what, are you saying that you only want me to duel if there's a hundred-chance of a win on my end?"

"That is correct."

 _...Astral..._

"My very existence in on the line when you duel, Athena. Why would I encourage you to duel someone when I know you will lose to them?"

 _H...How dare he. How dare he!_

"What the hell are you-"

"If we run into Kite's ambush right now, you will lose, and you will have failed to save your friends, and then I will-"

I heard all I could take, and in a burst of anger, my fist goes flying straight at the being before me!

"You can't know a damn thing before it even happens!"

...Of course, my hand, as well as a bit of my body, just went right through him...but I didn't care. I just went with the trajectory and braced myself to fall to one knee, my knuckles connecting with the concrete...I felt nothing, except anger and hurt of the emotional kind towards the one person who I assumed would have my back through these situations.

 _But, then again...I did just assume._

"...Athena?"

My voice comes out in a cold, hard bite:

"Screw off."

I hear Astral take in a sharp breath of surprise, while I moved to slowly get back on my feet, before turning to shoot him a disgusted glare.

"It's plainly obvious that you don't wanna offer your help...and you know what? That's fine..."

Walking over so that I was only a foot away from him, I lock my blazing red irises with his mismatched gold and white.

"Because I can do without the weight of a coward dragging me down."

That harsh comment caused his eyes to widen considerably, while I just tched and walked off, sending over my shoulder as I moved to join Caden to head off and play hero,

"And think about this while I'm gone: How do you expect to restore your memory if you're just gonna run off scared from the duelists holding them hostage?"

...I hear no reply, and just kept my eyes forward, slowly building a jog with the boy beside me, who was looking at me with some concern for my shift of mood.

"Addy...are you okay?"

"I'm fine...Sorry you had to hear that, Cade. Let's just focus on getting to the others, alright?"

"Um...okay."

Sideglancing at my friend, my lips then curve into a semi-mean smirk before I added,

"By the by, you lot will be getting a lecture from me later for playing detectives and somehow not botherin' to mention anything to me beforehand."

He cringes slightly, before muttering with a nervous smile,

"Eh-heh, right."

Small Time Skip, No POV

Our view now casts over what appears to be a large magma pit underground the stone arena of Fortuno's manor, with the other four members of Number Seekers Anonymous trapped atop a small-diameter stone pillar. Caswell nervously stutters,

"N-Nobody breathe. Nobody sneeze. Nobody panic. Nobody move!"

Unfortunately, the shortest boy of this quartet was feeling anything but calm.

"Somebody save me! Gaaaaaah!"

Tiffany chides to him,

"Flip, easy! Take a few deep breaths..."

"...Tiff! Guys!"

"Uh! That sounded like Addy!"

Shifting to the chamber itself, we see said girl with red irises hurry down the staircase with Caden, only to discover the faces of their friends being reflected from inside the giant crystal ball.

"W-What the-Everyone!...Oh god, is that magma?! Are you all okay?!"

Unfortunately, while the two had a good visual of the trapped four, there wasn't any audio provided, as noted by Caden.

"Shoot. They might be hearing us, but we can't hear them."

They walk a bit closer to the crystal until they were standing on the same spot the others fell through a little while ago, just as Fortuno makes his entrance.

"Welcome, Athena. So glad you could make it."

"Rgh! So you must be Fortuno...Release my friends right now, (knuckle-crack) unless you wanna answer to my fist!"

"(Chuckle) I will gladly release them if you can defeat me in a duel."

Fortuno gestures a hand towards the figure sitting atop that throne off to the high side.

"And I hope you don't mind, but my Master Kite will be spectating..."

Athena looks over to see the figure, but instead of nerves, she felt this wave of...suspicion.

 _Hmm..._

"Kite...!"

"Huh?"

She then looks up above Caden, and spots Astral!

"What? Astral?...Hmph, so you had the balls to show up after all."

...But upon noticing the facial features of fear written all over the blue being, Athena breathes out a sigh with a head shake, thinking to herself,

 _Guess this is as far as his nerves will allow him to go. A shame, really..._

"Master Kite. I, your humble servant will defeat this girl and cease her Number."

Athena turns to retort back to Fortuno,

"That's what you think, weirdo!"

"Soon your soul will belong to my master!"

"Wrong again: By the end, your battered and bruised body's gonna be sprawled on the floor with no Life Points, and I'll be walkin' out of here with my friends to laugh about your big mistake in crossing the likes of me!"

With that threat in the wind, the girl readies her dueling equipment:

"Duel Disk: Go! Duel Gazer: Show me the impossible!"

 **Augmented Reality Vision Link Established.**

"(Both duelists) Let's Duel!"

Fortuno would start the battle:

"I'll take the first move. Prepare yourself. I Draw! First, I summon Orange Shaman in Attack Mode!"

A puff of violet smoke explodes into the area in front of the man, before an orange-schemed monster in the guise of thin-bodied, floral medicine man, Level Four with 0 Attack Points appears to attention. Astral wonders to himself,

 _A monster with no Attack Points?_

"I then place one card face-down and end my turn."

Athena does not hesitate to start her own first move:

"You're goin' down, freakshow! I Draw! I summon Gogogo Golem in Attack Mode! (Smirk) That shaman of yours is lookin' like a good target..."

"Hmph! I activate Orange Shaman's special ability: Since you summoned Gogogo Golem, Orange Shaman can usher another shaman to my field! Appear before me, Red Shaman!"

Appearing out of another cloud of dark purple smoke, was a shaman monster with a red scheme, also Level Four with 0 Attack Points.

"Zero Attack Points again. You must not attack him!"

Athena shoots down Astral's warning in a cool air, still angry with him for earlier.

"I'm not playing the chicken just 'cause you're hesitant. Gogogo Golem, Attack!"

Fortuno's lips curve into a grin before he calls out,

"I reveal the Trap, Dance of the Guardian! This allows me to choose one card in your hand, and if it just happens to be a monster, then your attack will be nullified! And I already know what you're holding."

"Tch, a bluff if I ever heard one. Fortuneteller or not, I've never known psychic abilities to be real."

Caden calls in warning from the sidelines,

"But Addy, he does have the power!"

"You have five cards in your hand. There's only one monster card among them...That would be the second card from the right."

Athena's eyes widen, before she grumbles out,

"Lucky guess," watching as her golem's fist is stopped by a circle-shaped shield...

"At this moment, Dance of the Guardian sends the card I selected to your Graveyard, and I'm able to draw a new card from my deck!"

Cursing as her spellcaster vanishes, the girl with red irises thinks to herself,

 _I dunno how he did that, but if his luck holds out with these so-called psychic powers, this duel will be more difficult than I anticipated._

Meanwhile, Astral felt his anxiety rise some:

 _Nothing that I learned before about the human mind would lead me to believe that a man is capable of this power..._

 _Does Kite also have this ability? If so, stopping him may be impossible._

He hears Athena mutter,

"Ugh, talk about an unfair advantage," before floating down some to inform her,

"Now, Athena, defend. You must fortify with that Trap in your hand."

"...Yeah, that would be the smart move, wouldn't it? I place one card face-down and end my turn!"

Fortuno makes his next move:

"It's my turn then! I Draw! I activate the Spell, Shaman Call! When I have two spellcasters with zero Attack Points, Shaman Call grants me the power to summon another shaman from my deck! I summon Green Shaman to the field!"

Said monster in the guise of a green-schemed medicine man appears, once again being a Level Four with 0 Attack Points.  
Athena notes how many monsters of the same level her opponent has now:

"Three Level Fours...Hoh boy..." Astral mutters,

"This is why he consecutively summoned two monsters with zero Attack Points..."

"Witness the power of those who see beyond time! Watch in wonder as I overlay Orange Shaman, Red Shaman and Green Shaman!"

The three shamans form into purple streams of light that go diving into the summoning vortex...

"With these three monsters, I build the Overlay Network! I XYZ Summon, Number 16: Shock Master!"

And we would soon be seeing the very same Number Fortuno recently obtained from another Number Holder only a few days ago, Rank Four with 2300 Attack Points! Athena comments,

"Here's the Number, and this one's definitely the strangest-looking one I've seen...so far..."

"Behold, Shock Master's special ability! Once a turn, I can use an Overlay Unit to negate the effect of a card type of my choosing!"

"Aw come on!"

"Heheheh, oh yes, my dear, and the card type I choose can't be used for two turns. I can see it right now: The exact type of your face-down card."

Astral exclaims,

"He knows!" Athena replies stubbornly,

"He can't! I refuse to believe it!"

"My vision grows clear: Your face-down card is a Trap!"

 _Rgh, dammit, he guessed right again!_

 _...How is he doing that?_

Shock Master's eyes cast a transparent-strong spotlight over Athena's face-down card, revealing Bye-Bye Damage...

"I declare that Trap Cards cannot be activated!"

The Number then shoots a giant thorn to stab the face-down, making it inaccessible for use!

"I do hope that you weren't planning on using that card to stop my attacks."

Athena growls in response, making Fortuno laugh aloud before he calls out,

"Shock Master, take out Gogogo Golem!"

Said Number monster charges forward and knocks the golem off their feet before they blow apart in an explosion of pixels, leaving their wielder to be thrown to the ground on her backside as her Life Points drop to 3500...

But that was least of the girl's worries, when she sees a piece of the stone pillar her trapped friends were standing on break off!

"Auh! No!"

"Oh, did I forget to mention? Your friend's safety depends on you: The more Life Points you lose, the more the rock on which they stand will crumble!"

"Grh! You son-of-a-!"

"Are you prepared to bow before my power and before my Master Kite?!"

Glancing over at the figure sitting on the high throne, Athena barks back,

"You wish! If anything, you're giving me more reasons to beat the living daylights out of you once this duel's over with!"

But while she maintained a brave front, past and present pressures were closing in on Astral's mind, recalling the helpless feeling of defeat during that moment which could've meant the end for him...

 _This feeling I have...this trembling in my spirit..._

 _I think I now understand what it means to-...be afraid._


	18. Hope For the Future, Part Two

"I see the end: You're kneeling before me, hehahaha! You're admitting defeat, and begging me to release your little friends!"

That would be Fortuno's latest boast come after his monster, Number 16: Shock Master, destroys Athena's Gogogo Golem, costing not only 500 of her 4000 Life Points, but some of the stone pillar's structure her friends Tiffany, Jamal, Caswell and Flip were stuck standing on to avoid falling into a merciless pit of magma...

She grits her teeth and glances at their image in the crystal ball, worry and frustration dancing in her red irises.

 _Everyone...Damn it, this just had to get more dire, didn't it?_

She notices her female friend's lips mouth her name with scared eyes, the other three not looking any less afraid, making her soften her gaze slightly before calling,

"Hang in there, you guys...This won't be the end, for any of us. I promise!"

Caden, who was standing off to the side near some stairs leading up to the area where that familiar male figure sat, clasps his hands together and mutters,

"You can do it, Addy...I know you can win!"

Astral meanwhile, was focused on this new emotion that was overwhelming his heart.

 _This feeling I have, like I cannot move...I felt it for the first time during our duel with Kite._

 _(Shuts his eyes) I understand now that I am, afraid. This is Fear I am feeling._

 _So if this is being afraid, how do I make it stop?_

"...Astral...Astral!"

"Uh!"

He snaps out of his daze to the sound of Athena's voice calling for him, and meets her eyes as she says to him with a serious frown,

"Kindly quit drifting off, would ya?! In case you forgot, we're in the middle of a duel."

Momentarily surprised by the lack of fear in her being, Astral hovers closer to the girl's side before replying,

"I know, but you have no monster cards in your hand. And due to Shock Master's special ability, you cannot use Traps. If you cannot pull out a monster card on this next draw...it is over."

"Keh, that's all I gotta do? No probs, 'cause I have faith in my deck! I Draw!"

And luck was on Athena's side, when she peers down to see a monster...However...

"Kurivolt?...Hm, I was kind-of hoping for someone stronger than him...unless."

 _Maybe he's another unexpected case like Baby Tiragon..._

She pivots her head to look up at Astral:

"Is there a way we can use Kurivolt?"

"Yes. Get it on the field; you must trust me."

"Hm...okay, I'll trust you. (Faces her front) I summon Level One Kurivolt to the field!"

The monster that would pop up in front of Athena would have 300 Attack Points and the likeness of an electric-based sphere bomb.

"Good work. Now your Kurivolt can use any Overlay Units in play, so it can bring more Kurivolt Tokens to join it on your field. Right now, the only monster with Overlay Units, is Shock Master."

The girl smirks and replies to Astral,

"Aah, now I see: With Kurivolt's special ability, I can snag Shock Master's two Overlay Units, to summon two Kurivolt Tokens onto my field!"

Twin volts of electrical currents shoot out to grab hold of the two light orbs circling the Number.

"Ha; got 'em!"

They shift to briefly showcase the images of Orange and Green Shaman, before transforming into two more Kurivolts to stand on other side of the original!

"And just like that, I've got three little soldiers ready for action!"

"Ah, but why reply on such miserable creatures? Why not summon something stronger?...I see: You hold no other monsters in your hand! You had no choice but to rely on those pitiful creatures, did you?"

Noting the glowing of Shock Master's numeral on the back of Fortuno's hand, Athena starts to wonder,

 _Hm...I think I might know what's really going on here with this fortuneteller and his lucky guessing of my hands..._

"What is it, Athena?"

She darts her eyes to meet Astral's and replies,

"I'm just thinking, that it might be the Number Card Fortuno has that's providing his psychic ability."

"Uh! So you believe his ability is not natural?"

"Nope...but either way, his luck of guesswork is startin' to get really annoying, so we better get this duel done ASAP."

She then reaches to grab her next card to play while retorting to Fortuno,

"I wouldn't be calling Kurivolt pitiful after this, weirdo! I play the Spell Card, Voltage Summon! This card allows me to tribute my Kurivolt Tokens for any monsters in my deck Level Four or below. This round, I tribute two, so I can bring Ganbara Knight and Kagetokage to the field!"

Both monsters arrive in front of the girl as she adds,

"The drawback is that the monsters summoned through Voltage Summon have no Attack or Defense...But that won't be a problem for long! I now Overlay Ganbara and Kagetokage, to XYZ Summon Number 39: Utopia!"

With that, Athena's signature Number rises from her Extra Deck to stand on the field ready for action.  
For the second time, Astral found himself staring at her in surprise for her lack of nerves.

 _She was presented with an overwhelming situation, and yet, she was able to shake her fear and move forward._

 _I must ask her to teach me how to do that..._

Fortuno stares up at Utopia with a smirk of anticipation rather than with wariness.

"Hehmhmhm, so that's the Number Card I'll be taking..."

"As if! Go, Utopia: Attack Shock Master with Rising Sun Slash!"

Utopia's blade cuts down on his opponent, destroying the other Number in a cluster of pixels, while their wielder shielded himself from the wave impact of power as his Life Points dropped to 3800.

"That was just part one: Now it's Kurivolt's turn to attack you directly! Zap 'im good, my friend!"

The little bomb monster heeds Athena and charges forward before releasing a torrent of electricity on the fortuneteller, making his Life Points drop again to 3500. The shift of targets for damage makes smiles of hope appear on the trapped four, which their rescuer would return.

"No worries, you guys: I'll get you out of there even if we have to use liquid nitrogen on the magma! Alright, freak, your mov-"

"Athena, wait: Place the two Traps in your hand."

She looks at Astral a touch confused:

"Hm? Both?"

"Yes. You cannot activate them yet, but, have them ready."

"Ah. Fair enough. Alright, editing my statement: I place two cards face-down and end my turn!"

 _All is not lost. We may have a chance..._

But any rise of positivity within the celestial being would be tipped over like a stack of wood, when Fortuno suddenly starts belting out a laugh. Athena raises a brow and asks suspiciously,

"And just what the hell's so funny?"

"The fact that you still think you have a chance! It's my turn...I Draw! First things first, from my hand, I summon Rainbow Shaman! I should thank you, girl: By summoning an XYZ Monster and using it to clear my field, you enable me to call this monster forth!"

Level Seven with 0 Attack Points, this monster mirrored likeness to a very tall shaman with a rainbow-coloured headdress and carried a tall bongo drum.

"Oh great, another monster that 'looks' harmless but probably isn't..."

"I activate the XYZ Plant Spell Card! With it, I can choose one monster and my plant will transform into one with the same Level! So now I have two Rainbow Shaman on my field!"

Athena thinks to herself with a grit in her teeth,

 _...Crap. He must have another Number._

Astral mutters with worry,

"No," before Fortuno calls out,

"And with that done, I now Overlay both XYZ Plant and Rainbow Shaman!"

The Spell-made and regular shamans shift to form yellow and orange streams of light to dive into the accessed summoning vortex...

"With these two monsters, I build the Overlay Network! I XYZ Summon, Number 11: Big Eye!"

Our view would then cast over the sight of that Number with the appearance of an upside-down cylinder cone surrounded by a gravity ring with one gigantic eye of dull gold once again, it Level Seven and with 2600 Attack Points!

"Fan-freakin'-tastic. First Shock Master, now this one."

 _Which btw, has the least creative name..._

Astral notes in a more serious manner as opposed to Athena's afterthought,

"And it is powerful..."

Fortuno laughs, the numeral symbol of Big Eye glowing on his forehead, and jeers,

"Did you really think that I only had one Number Card at my disposal? Naïve fool: I have collected dozens of Number Cards for my Master Kite!"

Another beat of anxiety rushes through Astral as he takes in the fortuneteller's words, casting fearful eyes towards the Number Hunter's figure atop the throne...We zoom in briefly to where our entrapped four were forced to stand, as Flip begins to wonder,

"Can Athena, really beat this guy?" Caswell mutters skeptically,

"I really don't think so," causing Tiffany to scold both of them for losing their faith.

"Come on, you guys, buck up! It won't help the situation if you start to give up! This is Addy we're talking about: The girl who doesn't know the meaning of the word surrender!"

Looking to where she could see said topic of conversation, the girl with black bobbed hair smiles a bit and inquires,

"Tell me: Does that expression look like the one of a quitter?"

"Huh?"

The other three cast their vision to where she was looking...and could see no visible signs of doubt on Athena's facial features, causing them to relax their anxieties slightly.

Meanwhile, the dueling girl herself puffs out an exasperated breath from her opponent's laughter before calling over,

"Are ya done boasting yet, freakshow? I hate to burst your bubble, but, let's face it, (smirk) it'll give me great pleasure to tell you that Utopia's ability can negate any attacks heading his way. No matter what you do, he's basically a brick wall."

Fortuno's own smirk does not falter as he counters with a chuckle,

"Except I'm about to activate Big Eye's special ability! By using one Overlay Unit, Big Eye can cease control over one of your monsters!"

"What?!"

"I'm afraid that your precious Utopia will now become my little puppet! Big Eye, cease her monster! Go, Temptation Glance!"

A near-invisible ring of energy ripples from the Number's glowing red iris, and Utopia falls limp, before rising again with a new shadowy aura of purple surrounding his body as he shift positions to Fortuno's side of the field!

"No! Utopia!"

Astral comments nervously,

"This, changes the situation...Without our Number..."

"Utopia, you will do my bidding! Attack Kurivolt now!"

One symmetrical cut down the middle, and the little Level One monster was destroyed, leaving Athena and Astral to shield themselves from the after-impact as the former's Life Points drop to 1300, spelling bad news for the trapped quartet of teens, as their line between living and burning alive shrunk even more!

"Gah! We're all gonna faaaalllll!"

"Save us, Addyyyyy!"

Tiffany and Jamal grab hold of one another's hand and snatch up Caswell's and Flip's to steady themselves, thinking in a rare unison,

 _Come on: Addy for the win!_

Once the field stopped rumbling from the impact of power, Fortuno wraps up his round of spelling doom for his opponent.

"Your fate will be delayed a bit more, for Big Eye cannot attack on the turn it uses its special ability. So for now, I place a face-down and end my turn."

Moving back onto her feet from her one-kneed kneel, Athena readies herself for her next turn.

"Rgh, my move! I Draw!"

She looks down and saw the card she drew was her Level Six Dododo Warrior!

 _Yes! Just what I need to start a new counter!_

"(Chuckle) Dear girl, you haven't gone and forgotten that I can see all your cards, now have you?"

Darting her red irises up to meet Fortuno's jade green, she retorts almost dully,

"No. I'm just ignoring it. Besides, I'm almost positive that your so-called psychic tricks are because of one of the Numbers you possess...That, (sardonic smile) or you must've cut a sweet deal with Lady Luck to make up for your lack of confidence to face your opponents with your balls attached."

The fortuneteller felt the sting of the girl's insult hit him like a slap to the face, before calling back aggravatingly,

"Hmph! Believe what you will, but I see right through your hand...You just drew, a monster, which means it's the perfect time to activate my Freezing dance Trap Card!"

A sheet of ice forms on the battlefield, and Fortuno adds with another laugh,

"Beginning now, for the next two turns, neither of us can summon a monster!"

Flip exclaims from his stand near Tiffany's side,

"Without a monster, Addy's just Big Eye bait waiting to be obliterated!"

She in turn mutters with a determined frown,

"It's over yet...I won't believe it, and I know she won't either!"

 _I hope..._

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the girl with long black hair tipped copper-red mutters,

"Alright...then I'll just end my turn here."

"How unfortunate. (Swipes up a card) Truly!"

Fortuno looks at his latest addition to his hand with a smirk, before jeering to his opponent,

"The end is near, my dear. Tumble into the depths of oblivion, along with your little friends! Big Eye: Attack her directly!"

Astral exclaims in warning,

"Athena, the Trap Card!"

"Right! Shock Master's ability wears off this turn...I activate the Trap, Nitwit Outwit! By sending a monster card in my hand to the Graveyard, my Trap reduces the damage I take equal the sacrificed monster's Attack Points! Dododo Warrior, lend me your strength!"

The axe-wielding warrior rises briefly to the field from the Graveyard to bravely take the hit from the Number Card, saving Athena from total annihilation as her Life Points settle down to 1000...Yet, Fotuno's humour remained strong:

"If you think you've managed to somehow avoid defeat, think agaaaain! Utopia, attack!"

"Now would be a good time to activate the other Trap...!"

"On it. I now activate the XYZ Wait Trap! Now Utopia, will lose 800 Attack Points for every Overlay Unit he has."

 _Sorry, big guy; hope you understand..._

Chains manifest to wrap around the Number's torso as his Attack Points drop temporarily to 900, but his attack would not slow, and Athena's body would go flying alongside Astral's as they're thrown back by their own monster, the girl's Life Points dropping to a dangerously-low 100!

...At the same time the celestial being discovers his presence in this world was once again jeopardized, the stone pillar above the magma pit would weaken under Tiffany, causing her to fall!

"Aaaaiiieeee!"

(GRASP)

"I gotcha, Tiff!"

"J-Jamal!"

Caswell and Flip join the dark-skinned boy to help pull their friend back up so she was sitting on their safety point again...Meanwhile, Fortuno comments,

"It's impressive that you were able to survive two direct attacks, but now I've got a surprise for you!"

Lifting her head up, Athena asks back with a bite in her voice,

"What, now?"

"The Twilight Dance Spell Card! This spell prevents both of us from summoning monsters from our Graveyards!"

The girl curses while rubbing her eyes with her fingertips in fatigue, and the fortuneteller adds with a sardonic grin,

"You're all out of options now, girl: Your field is empty and I have two powerful monsters ready to do my bidding!"

To prove his point, Utopia's Attack Points rise back to their normal 2500...

"You cannot resist anymore. You don't need a fortuneteller to know that you don't have a chance! Hehahahaha! Your move!"

Athena's POV

 _Ugh, what I wouldn't give to rush forward and slug that bastard to kingdom come..._

 _But I already wasted a bit of that energy against Astral, which, thinking now...was totally uncalled for._

As I struggled to rise up onto my knees, fatigue groping at my muscles, I hear Astral mumble in defeat,

"...This is, the end."

 _...No._

"I, w-won't, give in."

I add as I lift myself onto my feet stubbornly, the embers of my inner fire still burning.

"I, won't stop. Not, until my skin runs cold, with the shivers of Death."

I hear Astral mutter my name in surprise for my unwillingness to throw in the towel, while Fortuno's smirk flashes a bit of pity.

"Now now, we might not have to go that far...There is a way for you to save them. It's the only way."

I hiss,

"The frig are you talkin' about?"

"Surrender this Duel, Athena. Accept defeat, and relinquish your Number Card to me and my Master Kite."

 _What?_

"Do so, and I shall let your little friends go."

...I admit, for a split second, a small part of me was tempted...but, the rest of me was on high alert, not trusting his words.

 _It's a bluff...It has to be a bluff._

"It's a good deal you're being offered here: If you give up one little lamb, you'll be able to save the entire flock."

His smug chuckle just made his so-called offer sound all the less favourable, and seeing the refusal reflected in the faces of my friends (trapped and otherwise), only fueled my desire to not take his deal seriously.

 _No way...I won't relinquish Utopia._

"(Laugh) Why would you even hesitate? Clearly, it's the best choice!"

"Yeah? Says who, the man responsible for pushing disaster into my corner? Hmph!"

I glare away from him, before finding myself staring up at Astral, who moved in front of my body to stare at me for a moment, before shifting his vision over to where Kite supposingly was...

"...Astral?"

"I told you that we should not have come here...We have no chance of defeating him. To keep dueling him would mean to doom your friends..."

There's a pause, before he says in a defeated voice,

"There's only thing you can do now, Athena..."

 _...No. Don't say-_

"We have lost. Hand over the Number Card."

...Hearing him sound so absent of hope...it stirred up an ache in my heart, an emotional ache that made me very close to breaking down into an ugly sob right there.

"Astral...you, can't seriously want me to do that, knowing what it will mean for you..."

"You have to surrender your Number Card, Athena. In order to save your friends...you have to-"

I cut him off when the curtain representing my strong front was ripped away, and I released some fat tears from my eyes, hating the deadening tone in my...my friend's voice.

 _To sacrifice your life without any true care about what exactly you're giving up..._

 _I've been there, and it's sickening to think about, let alone hear it in another's!_

"Athena?"

My own voice comes out somewhat raw and emotional:

"Are you out of your mind?! I won't believe; I won't believe this is the only way!"

If he was surprised by my sudden change of moods, I certainly didn't see it through my blurred eyes.

"There is no other..."

Wiping away the tears furiously, I start thinking aloud with a watery smile as bitter as black coffee straight up,

"...My friends. It's a wonder they haven't ditched me yet, the broken girl who barely has her head above water...But, they've stuck by, no matter what. Good days, bad days, at least one of them would be there, ready when I needed them, and ever since I walked away from that other life, I made a vow to always be there for the people who still dare to call me their friend."

"I know. That is why I am saying you should-"

I interrupt him again as a small and slightly hysterical laugh bubbles from my tight throat.

"You really don't get it, huh?...Astral, I just said I'll always be there for a friend in need, and, (whirls to him) that includes you! You're my friend!"

"Uh...!"

A few more tears stream from my eyes as I add with a wobble in my tone,

"I refuse to sacrifice your life just to meet that madman's conditions! (Sniff) And, I know the others feel the same."

"Athena..."

Taking a few calming breaths to cool myself, I form a serious frown and direct a hand to where Caden was standing and the crystal ball with the images of Tiffany and the other boys.

"Look around at everyone except that creep Fortuno: Do you see any signs of anyone wanting to give up?"

Though still somewhat stunned from my proclamation, Astral does as I ask, and saw the same thing I did: All five of the faces also caught under this scheme held only the determination to life in their eyes, even nodding with me in comprehension to my words.

"U-Uh...!...Athena...everyone..."

Smiling a little, I chide more gently,

"You see it now, don't you, Astral? No one, least of all myself, wants to throw you under the bus. We all want to protect you, our friend."

"I..."

That was when that fortuneteller cuts in to steer us back on course with our battle, which he still believed to be over for me.

"Well? Stop muttering to yourself over there and tell me your decision!"

Drawing in a big breath, I shout back,

"If you think for a second that I'm gonna surrender 'cause of a couple handicaps, you're crazy! I fight to the bitter end!"

 _There's too much at stake here to just give up..._

"Aah. (Grin) In that case, Master Kite is looking forward to watching me win and adding your soul to his collection!"

He breaks into another belt of laughter, while I glanced over at the figure atop the throne, still feeling that twitch of suspicion.

 _Something about this don't make sense: Based on what I saw during my duel with Kite, he doesn't seem like the type to suddenly switch gears and start relying on minions to cut the workload down for him._

 _He's neither cowardly nor lazy...Which must mean...!_

An expression of enlightenment spreads onto my face, before I ask Fortuno with a small smirk,

"Hey, freakshow! Before we continue the fight, lemme ask you something...Just how dumb do you think I really am?"

"Hm?!"

I gesture a thumb to the shadowed face up top:

"You really expect me to believe that thing up there is Kite?"

"Eh?! W-What are you saying?! Of course it's Kite!"

Turns out I wasn't the only one smelling a rat, for it was then Caden exclaims in a narrowed voice,

"Oh yeah? Let's get a better look, shall we?!"

He then uses his cat-like agility to hop up the stairs to the seated figure, calling out with his hands poised like cat paws,

"Cats, pop out to pounce!"

(Scratch-scratch-scratch-scratch-scratch-SLICE)

...And just as I suspected, that figure was no more than a dummy shaped to look like Kite, its head bouncing down the stairs near me while also showing a fitted piece in the eye socket that likely was the source of that gleaming!

"Aha! I knew it; he's an it!" Astral mutters in surprise,

"So then, that was not Kite?"

Fortuno seemed quite shaken that his illusion of fear had been destroyed by the sharp nails of my feline-obsessed friend.

"What have you-do you realize what you've done?!"

It was my turn to let out a humoured laugh before saying,

"This explains why my bullcrap alarm kept egging at me, and it all makes perfect sense. Kite may be an asshat, but he's not one of those puppeteer-like crime bosses who needs able bodies to do the heavy lifting. He does just fine on his own...You on the other hand, Fortuno, (glaring frown) are nothing but a phony, a liar and a sadist!"

He doesn't make any moves to try and argue otherwise, still shocked that his tricks have been exposed...  
Astral meanwhile, was feeling a new wave of clarity pass:

"I was afraid of something that wasn't even there..." I assure him,

"Heh, don't beat yourself up over it. You're not the first to be overwhelmed by Anxiety or Fear...I found the best way to cope with the negative, is to use it to fuel the more positive reasons we do what we do. Stare Fear in the eyes and say, 'Dude, I'm in charge here, not you; get off your high-horse.'. Get my drift, my friend?"

"Yes, I do. I realize now: Fear is not the only emotion I have grown to understand."

"Oh?"

"Watching you walk to confront obstacles and rise up to meet challenges...I think I have also learned what it means to...hope."

 _...Astral..._

(Sheen)

 _Uh! Wha-?!_

Suddenly, before I had time to fully understand what was going on, my key pendant shone a bright light, that shot from it to connect with Astral's torso! His body began to ring with an energy shaded a pigment or two lighter than his body, while I was struck with awe over what I was witnessing.

"What...the...heck...?"

...And it seems I wasn't the only one who could actually see this.

"Wha-What is that?!"

I dart my head to Fortuno's direction, and saw he was looking in Astral's direction with a new wave of nerves, which prompted me to turn my eyes towards the rest of my crew, finding their expressions set in amazement...

"...Athena."

Turning back to the subject of this strange development, which had settled down by this point, he says to me with a new confidence in his voice,

"Win this."

Curving my lips halfway between a smile and smirk, I reply,

"Consider it done, my friend. My turn; I Draw! (Looks at card) Uh! The Comeback Spell Card!"

"Use it, Athena, and get Utopia back!"

"Just what I was thinking! I activate the Spell, Comeback! This card allows me to regain control over a monster on your field you stole from mine!"

That dark ring of energy dissipates from my Number's body, and I gesture an arm over.

"Time to come back to the winner's circle, Utopia!"

Fortuno exclaims,

"No," but could do nothing to stop me from reclaiming my monster.

 _Much better..._

"And now we can achieve victory!"

(Sheen)

"Auh!"

Next thing I knew, my extra deck began glowing a golden shine!

"The path has been made!"

"Wh-Whadda you mean? Path for what?"

Reaching into my deck holster, I pull out what looks like a new XYZ as Astral explains,

"For this: Chaos Number 39!"

 _A Chaos Number...?_

"By combining Utopia with its Overlay Units, Utopia can further evolve itself. The time is now, Athena!"

 _Oooh, now I see!_

Quickly meeting step with him, Astral and I then call out,

"Go, Chaos XYZ Evolution! Get ready for Chaos Number 39! I give you, Utopia Ray!"

The monster my vision would soon be taking in, was basically a more hyped-up version of the Utopia I've come to be familiar with (still Rank Four with 2500 Attack Points), including a very large long sword slung on his back!

 _A...Amazing...!_

My friends seem to think the same based on their slack-jawed expressions, while Fortuno had more of a reason to jump to alert.

"I did not see this transpiring...! Nevertheless, my Big Eye is still more powerful!"

Smirking, I quirk,

 _Not for long, they won't._

"Not when Utopia Ray's special ability activates! By using an Overlay Unit, it gains 500 Attack Points!"

Astral and I decide to do a supercharge just as our monster readies his gigantic weapon.

"Right now, Utopia Ray has three Overlay Units, which are all about to be used! Go, Overlay Charge!"

On that note, our Number's strength rose to a strong 4000!

"No, no!"

"And for every Overlay Unit, your monster loses 1000 Attack Points!"

Big Eye's Attack Points skyrocketed downward to zero...

"That means-!"

"Hell yeah; you're finished, Fortuno!"

I stand sideways back-to-back with Astral as we make our winning move.

"Do it now, Utopia Ray: Attack Big Eye! Rising Sun Chaos Slash!"

Our Number rose to the occasion, using his two regular swords and his enormous long blade to hack and slash the enemy into six pieces before they explode into pixels, leaving that freak of a fortuneteller to go sliding hard to the ground as his Life Points drop to zero!

"Yes!"

I fist-pump in a cheer for the win, while Astral extracts the two Numbers from Fortuno...

With that done, we then turn to one another...and flash eachother a smile.

 _Never give up, and always have faith._

(Ka-chank)

"Hm?"

That's when a side door opens to reveal Tiffany, Jamal, Caswell and Flip, running over to our direction at the same time Caden comes rushing down the stairs from that Dummy Kite's throne.

 _They're all okay..._

"Heh, hey all."

Though, what I didn't expect, was how animated my five friends would be in regards to my dueling partner.

"That, was, all kinds of awesome!"

"Incredible!"

"He totally saved us!"

 _Awoh brother..._

I sweatdropped with an exasperated smile at their eagerness to praise Astral, he himself settling himself to floating by my right, his brow raised slightly as he watched their behaviour.

"They are, acting quite enthusiastically..."

Laughing a little, I shake my head and reply,

"Yeah, that's what happens when you're under the spotlight. It'll wear off quick enough, though...Astral?"

"Yes, Athena?"

My smile falters to foreshadow regret as I mutter,

"I'm, sorry about what I said to you before we came here, calling you a coward...That wasn't fair, especially since you managed to brave it out and came with me despite your fears. If anything, you showed true courage tonight."

"Uh! True courage..."

His eyes alight from my compliment, making me sideglance away with a soft smile...until I recalled another soul in this room who displayed the complete opposite of what my friend beside me did.

"On the other hand...Fortuno."

I turn to glare at the down-for-the-count fortuneteller, picking up on the faint sound of he stirring from unconscious, making something in me burn.

"He displayed everything that makes a despicable coward. Putting my friend's lives in danger, including yours...(knuckle crack) _No way I'm letting that pass._ "

Astral's POV

Hearing the drop in Athena's tone to meet deadly expectations made me worry a little, but considering what I had observed so far in regards to the girl's behavioural patterns, I knew she wasn't about to do something of the upmost extreme.

 _At least, I hope not..._

The crack in her knuckles stirred attention from the others, and we would all watch as she suddenly started to walk over to where Fortuno was laying, he on the verge of trying to sit up after stirring awake.

"U-Uuuuh...What on ear-"

"Fortuno!"

"Hm!?"

He looks up, and flinches upon seeing what must have been a rather frightening glare on Athena's face.

"There's something I owe you, even though you lost."

 _Owes him? What does she-_

Jamal would provide the answer as he sucks some air through his teeth and mutters warily,

"Hoo boy, things are gonna get violent in a second, folks."

And right he was:

(...Whack, CLONK)

The six of us wince in unison as Athena lands two consecutive hits from her right fist against Fortuno's ribcage and the side of his face, she exclaiming straight afterward,

"That's for putting my friend's lives in jeopardy, you bastard!"

 _Oh my, that must have hurt...I must remember to be cautious in the future when Athena is particularly, 'ticked off'._

Letting out an aggravated breath, she began her walk (which fell more as a held-back stomp) out of this place, calling to everyone without looking back in an even tone,

"Let's blow this freak-house," to which all besides myself would reply to in quick unison,

"Don't have to tell us twice!"

I took a moment to pause and watch their interacting forms, as I noted,

 _Observation Number Thirteen: As long as you have friends...you have Hope._

 _...Sub-observation Thirteen-A: Athena...Tiffany, Jamal, Caswell, Flip, Caden...They are all my friends._

These dual thoughts, brought a small smile to my face...

"Hey, Astral, you comin'?!"

"Yeah, trust me, man, creepy joints like these ain't a good place to hang out at!"

"You still think this place is haunted, don't you, Jamal?"

"Oi! Don't judge me, Tiff!"

"After tonight, I wouldn't be surprised if Fortuno haunts this crazy house!"

"In the end, can we please change the subject?!"

"I agree with Caswell; just talking about this house makes me all the more anxious to go home and curl up with my cats, merow!"

Hearing the lighter tones in their voices only made my smile grow a touch, before I made the motion to follow them, also feeling ready to leave this place and not look back...

...However, just as I made my way to the top of the staircase to join in step (er, floating step) with the group, I felt this strange fleeting feeling...as if there was something I had forgotten back down below in that chamber.

 _Probably my imagination...I think._

Small Time Skip, No POV

Come about half an hour later after our group of teens and one celestial being exited Fortuno's place, we find him kneeling on the stairs leading to the throne where the fake Kite used to be, gazing over something he pulled out of a small treasure box while rubbing a large bruise going from the bottom of his left cheek to chin.

"Hmph! That ruffian child thinks she has taken all of my Number Cards...Fortunately, I was wise enough to store my most precious Number Card here..."

(...Step, step, step)

"Hm? (Looks up) Auh, it-it's you! Kite! It's really you!"

Yes: This time, Fortuno was witnessing the true Number Hunter with his own eyes, their figure shadowed and carrying a dangerous smirk that also reflected in his grey irises...

The fortuneteller's devotion would of course blind him from the signs:

"Master, I have been watching you: I think you are incredible! I would give you anything, and everything!"

"Good to know. In that case, I'll take that Number...and while we're at it, I'll take your soul."

"Hah?!"

...Creatures belonging to the aviary world would bolt from the front courtyard of the small manor when their animal instincts pick up on something unsettling, they being the extraction of Fortuno's last Number Card, along with his very being.

" _I thank you for your loyalty._ "

Athena's POV

 _TGIF indeed. If this had gone on any longer, the parent squad would be blowin' up our gazers..._

As soon as everyone and I had gotten as far as we could from that creep Fortuno's place, we'd settle in an area just opening into one of the small public commutes to collect ourselves...

Or rather, for the five stooges (whom I love to pieces; don't misunderstand) to prep themselves for what I had promised Caden before we had arrived at the mansion.

"U-Uh, Addy..."

"Alright, now with that mess taken care of...I can say this."

I whirl around to bark with a scolding expression,

"I can't believe you five acted like complete idiots today!"

They flinch back considerably in unison with nerved sounds, before I ask a touch less aggressively but seriously,

"Whose idea was it to form an investigation club for the Numbers without thinking to run any sort information by me and Astral?"

Cade and Flip were quick to pointing fingers:

"It was Caswell and Jamal's idea!"

They gasp, before taking a turn at shooting blame:

"Tiffany said to postpone presenting the findings!"

She makes an offended noise to being made the 'bad guy', before quickly defending,

"W-We just wanted to be sure of everything and that we got all-"

"Stop."

I hold a hand up to prevent anymore word stumbles, having heard all I need to.

"As far as I'm concerned, each one of you has to take credit for this mess. The pointing of fingers only makes you guys look more guilty..."

"We, didn't realize you'd be this angry with us..."

Smirking bitterly, I reply to Flip,

"Oh I've gone past angry, my friend: I'm downright furious that my buddies feel just because I've pulled some stupid-dangerous stunts in the past that it's suddenly okay for them to as well!"

"Uh...!"

Exhaling a frustrated breath, I run a hand over my face as I mutter,

"Just count your blessings most of my fury was directed at that fortuneteller, or there'd be a fifty-fifty chance of bumps on the head for all five of you...That being said."

I face them all alot more calmly than a minute ago, seriousness dominating my tone once again.

"While I do appreciate the fact you'd all go to so much trouble for me and Astral, for god's sake, you gotta be smarter about this. It ain't like using your grandparent's find-it books: Caution must be used. Stressed, to, a, T! Tonight's example proves that it won't just be Kite playing Number Hunter out there...If any information about this mission falls into the wrong ear, lives are gonna be put at risk, Astral's especially."

Said being who played a vital role in the topic folds his arms with a frown and nods in agreement.

"Quite so. What you had all done was rather reckless and irresponsible."

I gesture a hand to him and reply,

"Thank you! See, even Astral agrees with me. Now I want you all to promise the two of us that if you're gonna continue with this investigation club, be more conscientious of your actions and remember to tell us of anything, and I mean any little detail."

My five friends bow and reply in meek voices,

"We promise."

"Good, and please be especially careful with who you talk to."

I turn to look at the two who've had my back since childhood:

"Tiffany, Jamal, I expected a little more wariness from you two since you of all people should know a good amount on what to look for in terms of shady characters based on my oral accounts of the rough end of the city. What's the one thing I've warned you to never do?"

Jamal mutters while avoiding my eyes in one of those monotone voices of a student repeating a teacher's latest lesson plan,

"Trust a shifty stranger."

"And what did you do tonight?"

Tiffany replies in a more defeated tone while bending downward with a sweatdrop,

"Trust a shifty stranger..."

"Exactly. (Small smirk) So what are all of us, myself included, not going to be repeating after this fiasco?"

We all parrot together (even Astral),

"Trust a shifty stranger," and Flip quickly adds in a cheeky tone,

"Unless someone we know knows them first."

That earned a small whack to the back of his head by Tiffany, eyeing him with a puff of annoyance in her cheeks while he winces and asks,

"Whaaaat?"

I roll my eyes in amusement and mutter,

"That'll work," before directing everyone to follow me somewhere to kill more time before our curfews come to bite us in the ass.

"Now then, let's all go to a less stressful atmosphere and unwind before we have to head home."

"Huh?" "Where?" "Shouldn't we return to our homes now?"

They nonetheless meet my steps as I wave a casual hand and reply,

"Nah, if we go back home now while we're still comin' down from the duck-and-cover mindset, our folks are gonna belt us with questions. This way, we'll have a viable excuse for staying out late...Plus, I've been meaning to show you guys this neat hotspot for rock music coverage."

Small Time Skip

Our group of seven were soon sitting at two square tables shoved together inside a little bar-like cafe welcomed to pretty much anyone over thirteen (not that little kids couldn't come in; just not recommended) situated on the street that bordered the nicer and rugged neighbourhoods, acting as somewhat of a truce hut for everyone of all walks of life to wander in, sharing the same love for lattes, sodas and the edgier sounds of music...

"Huh. I've walked by this place a few times, but I never actually expected the atmosphere to be this, lively..."

Smirking a little at the awed Caswell, I reply,

"Yeah, the outside may look ugly, but the people inside are fairly friendly and know how to show others a good time. Just don't come in here during death metal night, haha, or you might end up seeing a rather frightening nightmare that's the harder sides of rock and roll."

"Uh, duly noted."

I glance up to watch as Astral kept hovering around the large room of black-washed hardwood, peering his eyes in wonder between the regular patriots (some of which wore outfits that screamed grunge, goth and/or simple music fandom), the island bar where you order your drinks and a couple choices of sweet confections, and of course, the awesome sound stage where bands of various backgrounds would set up to blow the speakers for all to hear.

Seeing the curiousity highlighted made me feel amused, his expressions reminding me of a younger me when I listened to my first rock CD.

I turn back to my friends at the table, seeing a mixed review of awe and hesitance in being here, which was what I expected. Based on past and present conversations, Tiffany and Caswell are more inclined to gentler styles of music, while Jamal and Flip liked to lean close to my tastes. As for Caden...he seems to be caught in the middle.

 _And then Astral just seems more fascinated with the whole concept of music..._

 _Heh, though I'm not sure if genres like this are his cup of tea._

A moment ago, _Medicine_ by _The Pretty Reckless_ was being cover-played by an alternate rock all-girl band, which started a whole stir of questions from my friend from beyond until I explained some of the meanings behind the sentences. It didn't exactly make him feel less creeped out by the lyrics, but it did seem to help him take it in with a calmer air.

(Note: I own nothing related to the song nor the artist mentioned. Only said band attains such.)

"...Hey, Addy."

"Hm?"

I turned my head to meet Jamal's aqua irises with my red, who asks me with a hopeful smile,

"Any chance you might go up there and take a turn at the mic?"

 _Me?_

My eyes go wide for a split second in surprise, before I inquire with a smirk,

"Well that depends: You got a track in mind?"

"Hoh-hoh, giving me control of your fate, eh? You sure you wanna take that highway to danger-town?"

The lot of us laugh at his joking, before I nod in confirmation, leaving him to start thinking while mocking that philosopher position, hand under the chin and whatever.

"Hmm, lemme see: What to choose, what to choose..."

Come about three minutes later, my best buy friend announces his choice for me.

"I got it! You're gonna go up and sing...Hope!"

I rose a brow at the title:

"Chad, Brownlee's Hope? Dude, you know I don't usually belt out country..."

(Note: I do not own the song nor any references to the lyrics. Such rights belong to the artist and no other.)

"No, but you could twist it into a rock cover, couldn't you?"

Hmming, I look over to see another band comprised of two late-teen boys and three men, whom I recall frequent here every now and again to bring the sounds of psychobilly and country rock to this shindig.

 _Well...it'll depend on if they know that song...but maybe._

"Maybe I could..."

"Could what?"

"Oh!"

I darted my eyes up to meet Astral's, not realizing 'til now that he had settled back to floating by me.

"Ah, well, Jamal just dared me to go up on that stage and sing Hope."

"Hope?"

"Uh-huh. It's a song from the realm of country, mind you, a genre I don't usually sing along to, but...given what we've all gone through tonight..."

I form a minuscule smile as I look over everybody and think aloud,

"I think the lyrics may be appropriate to the mood."

"How so?"

Getting up from my seat, I start making my way over to where that edgy hillbilly-inspired band was sitting while quirking mysteriously,

"You'll just have to wait and listen for the message to come bouncing with the melody..."

Astral's POV

 _Message in a melody? What does that mean?_

I watch with a befuddled expression as my, friend, Athena makes her way to a group of five males of various ages wearing dark-shaded 'outdoors' clothing to chat with them for a moment...Based on the pleased grin on her face and the rise of excitement that was stirring steadily for the males, it seems that a positive outcome was reached in the conversation.

The six were soon standing up on the large platform known as a stage (or in the drummer's case, sitting), with Athena standing in the middle front with a device known as a microphone perched on its own metal stand.

"...You think Addy's gonna be able to pull a rock cover off?"

"We're about to find out, Tiff."

 _Rock cover? What do stones have to-Oh, wait, they mean the genre, not the object._

 _...And Athena said that the song she's about to do is originally country._

 _Does this mean that we will be hearing a different version?_

Thirty seconds later, I would receive my answer in the form of a, guitar riff, streaming in for all to hear. It was loud, but not so much that the volume was unpleasant, merely made to gain attention. Another instrument, a bass guitar as Athena has told me about in the past, is soon heard in the background with the main stringed player, along with the hard beat of the drums.

...The lyrics came shortly afterward, sung by the girl before my eyes in such a way, it almost sounded as if the words were flowing from her mouth like a current of wind. Somehow, she managed to drop her tone to meet the qualities of a male, but kept a bit of her real voice to help with the higher notes. True, there were some hints of faltering in the correct pitch to match the tune, but they didn't hinder the quality.

And, the words themselves...Athena was correct: The meaning in this song fitted extraordinarily well with what we had been through this last while. It spoke of a powerful message, centering around, having hope for a great change that will benefit all.

 _To move past feelings like doubt, stop shying away from truths that need to be accepted..._

 _Hope, is the answer._


	19. The Neverending Tethers of Family

A new week opens and closes for the students at the Heartland Dueling Academy, and we've just reached the end of the First-Year Math Class taught by Mister Kay, with not alot of difference in the usual lesson plan...other than an announcement for an upcoming annual school event.

...Of course, our girl with the long shaggy black hair tipped copper-red didn't catch that information, for she had snoozed off during the halfway point of the class, still somewhat exhausted out from recent activities regarding the Number Cards.

"...Addy...Addy!"

"H-Huh? Wha...?"

She groggily stirs awake to the sound of Tiffany's calls, also feeling a hand nudging her shoulder.

"(Yawn...) Oh...crap, I fell asleep, didn't I?"

Folding her arms with a semi-scolding smile, the girl with bobbed black hair replies,

"You sure did...Hah, if you keep this late night, barely-getting-any-hours routine going, you might wanna consider getting an alarm clock for your duel gazer. Better yet, stop waking up at four o' clock in the dang morning."

Rubbing her red irises, Athena smirk-glares tiredly at her friend and retorts dully,

"For your information, genius, I wake up at five, five-thirty in the morning, not an ungodly four...And my mind's just been a little hyperactive; it'll die down soon enough."

"Whatever...Anyway, you feel ready for tomorrow's class?"

An eyebrow is raised as the asked individual starts putting her things into her backpack.

"Tomorrow? The weekend starts tomorrow; you sure you don't mean Monday?"

"...Oh wow, you were out cold. Athena, tomorrow is School Spirit Day."

"Uh!...Oh...right, of course..."

Athena was completely awake now after hearing those three words, and a bitter, distant smile forms on her lips as she mutters,

"How could I have forgotten about that asinine school event...?"

"Addy..."

Tiffany felt a small frown of guilt trace her lips, now feeling bad for even mentioning the announcement.

 _Oh stupid me: I forgot that Athena hates School Spirit Day...or rather, its main purpose..._

It was then Jamal walks over, wondering what was keeping the girls from leaving the classroom.

"Hey, you guys comin' or-Whoa...who died?"

The girl with black bobbed hair mouths the title of tomorrow's event while discreetly pointing out the other female's downward drop of mood, causing the boy to widen his eyes silently with realization.

 _Oooh, right, damn..._

 _...Hey, I just thought of somethin': It's a long shot, but it might help perk up my bud.  
_

"Uh, say, Addy: I hear that, they're lookin' for some students in our year to do a music presentation for tomorrow...Uh, that is, y-you don't have to. I'm just thinkin'-"

Athena holds a hand out to stop Jamal from awkwardly stuttering, and replies a touch softly,

"I know, and you're sweet to care...Might be just what I need to get through tomorrow anyway. Where's the sign-up sheet?"

A few hours later, we see the girl walking home on her own from the Academy, frowning a little in bitter thought about the day coming sooner than later.

"Ugh...If only I could just ditch School Spirit Day. But, hopefully some sad-toned alternative rock can help me get through it."

 _I already got the perfect song in mind. Might make me stick out among the happy souls, but who cares?_

Astral then materializes outside the key beside the girl, having heard some of the talk in the real world, and comments,

"Spirit Day sounds like it involves phantoms and ghosts."

"Keh, I wish. That'd be more exciting...It's really a day for parents and/or guardians to come down and check out the progress of their kids in school. See if the teacher-student interactions are being conducted right."

"...But your parents are not around right now."

Athena's eyes drift downward as she mumbles,

"All the more reason I want that day to be shot," before replying aloud with a fake smile,

"True, but all family members are welcome. I'll just see if Grandpa or one of my bros can come down."

Astral does not miss the first sentence nor bought the forced upturn in the girl's lips, and would find himself staring at her with some concern as they continued on their way back to her house...

(Ka-chank)

"I'm back!...Uh, anybody home?"

Athena darts her head back and forth, spotting no immediate signs of the rest of her family, before she decides to comb around the house for them...

"Hey, Gramps, you in here?"

She slides the door to Homare's bedroom open, just as he was looking over a rather nice-looking silk kimono of dark blue with red stripes on the sleeves.

"Ah, Athena, back from school already?"

"Uh, yeah...Listen, Grandpa-"

"Tell me, dear: What do you think of this kimono?"

The girl looks at the clothing up and down, before replying uncertainly due to the interruption,

"Uh, looks nice...?"

"I thought so! My fifty-seventh high-school reunion is tomorrow, and I was thinking of wearing this old number."

"Ah! D-Did you say, tomorrow?"

Not noticing the disappointment that was forming on his granddaughter's face, Homare comments with a blissful smile,

"Hmm, I wonder how ole Yuki is doing these days? She was my first girlfriend, you see, (chuckle) and had such a knack for adventure..."

By this time, Athena had decided to head up to where the bedrooms of her brothers were, and after discovering that Adam wasn't home yet, she would try Terry's, finding him at work over what looked to be order forms on his computer.

"...Um, hey bro."

"If you're here to try and get an allowance advance, nice try, little sis."

Feeling slightly offended by the mild accusation, the girl says a touch rigidly,

"That's not why I'm here, Terry."

"Then what're you doin' here? If it's not obvious, I am busy with work."

(Brrriiiing, brrrriiiing...)

"Hold that thought."

(Ping)

"Hey, Yoko, what's up, girl?...Wait, what?!"

The young man with the asymmetric red hair jumps to his feet from his desk chair and exclaims,

"Are you serious?! Miko's Wedding is this Saturday?! I thought it was...Well no duh I'm going; I wouldn't miss it for the world! After all, we..."

(Ka-chank)

"Hm?"

Terry turns around to the sound of his bedroom door closing, finding his younger sibling no longer here.

"...Addy?"

Shifting to nighttime, we catch up with Athena, dressed in her red tank-top nightdress and laying back in her bed with an arm behind her head and her other hand holding out the golden key pendant from her neck for her eyes to see, the staring irises dilating with depression and a very dull anger.

"Hah...why do I even bother anymore?...It's not like their presence makes much of a difference..."

She pivots her head to glance at the framed picture of her parents, whispering with sorrow,

"...Mom...Dad...I miss you two...I don't know when, or if you'll ever return...but I hope you're at least together, keeping eachother's hearts safe."

 _That's all I can really hope for at this point...To ask for more, would be too much._

A single bead of water forms at the corner of Athena's left eye, before she wipes it away hastily and forces herself to go to sleep...unaware a certain friend of hers was watching her the whole time, his unease becoming more prominent.

Time Skip

Come the next morning, we find ourselves just outside one of the monorails that ran the line with the Heartland Dueling Academy as one of its stops. Standing and waiting for the specific transport to take her to school was Tiffany, dressed in her full uniform while wearing her bobbed black hair back with a mint green scarf, her cornflower blue irises popping...from behind the glass of her lemon-yellow spectacles.

"Ran out of contacts again, Tiffany?"

"Hm?"

She turns to see who addressed her, and smiles when she sees two familiar girls from her year approaching.

"Oh! Calli, Hana!...Yeah, I did."

The first girl had caramel-coloured skin with short, curly black hair dyed with some dark blue highlights, and dark green eyes, while the second girl had peachy skin, long white-blond hair that reached down to her mid-back with a piece held in the middle by a white bow, and grey-blue eyes.

"Haah, at this point, you may as well wear a spare pair of contacts around your neck..."

"Hey! You try scrambling around on the floor looking for something as transparent as a window!"

Hana silently laughs at her bickering friends before asking with a soft voice contrasting the other new face's loud one,

"So, is your mom able to come to School Spirit Day with your Dad this time?"

"Yep! The hospital finally allowed her a day off for this event."

"That's good."

Calli smiles to herself in exasperation as she ponders with mild worry dancing in her green irises,

"I just hope my dad doesn't act too weird this time. Every year, he ends up comin' to the school with his castanets and tries to prompt everyone into learning the flamingo."

"His performances always remind me where your loud personality comes from."

"Hey, watch it, Hana!"

Said addressee and Tiffany laugh at their annoyed friend, before discussing what their class will be doing as part of the special events.

"I hear we're doing the vault boxes for the P.E. portion of the day."

"Mhm, that's right, and a couple of our classmates are doing their own performances for music!"

 _Including Addy..._

"I wonder if Addy might try that crazy challenge again with twenty boxes?"

"If she does, we better have a safety net on standby!"

While Calli and Hana may have laughed lightly at the possible prospect of their fellow classmate, the girl with cornflower blue irises felt a wave of general concern pass for Athena's chances at even coming to school...

Speaking of our main protagonist, we zoom down to the streets near the downtown area of the city, as Athena comes jogging up the sidewalk that ran by one of the expanses of the river, dressed in her usual workout attire (this time, the theme colours being white/lime green) with her hair left down, and pauses to catch her breath as she says to herself,

"Hah...hah...maybe I should've been a bit more persistent with Terry and Gramps, but then again...seeing their faces earlier..."

Flashback

 _"Alright, Addy, let's get this over with..."_

 _Shortly after waking up and changing out of her pajamas, Athena was coming down the stairs with her backpack while practicing her fake 'I'm cool with this' expression to help her get through the one school event she looks least forward to each year..._

 _Just as her feet touch the main floor, she spots her brother standing in front of a little mirror attached to the wall of the staircase, adjusting a black necktie that stood out against his white suit, marble-grey vest and black dress shoes._

 _"...Uh, what's with the reverse black tie look? You realize full-white is a stain hazard...?"_

 _Finishing with his necktie, Terry turns away from his reflection to smile-glare at his younger sibling for the cheeky comment._

 _"Very funny. It's part of Miko's wedding theme."_

 _"It's certainly different compared to some other weddings I've attended..."_

 _The two siblings turn to see their grandfather, now wearing his dark blue silk kimono with red striping on the sleeves, completing the look with a black sash and matching soft boots._

 _"But you'll definitely catch a few eyes in that suit. Heheh, Yoko better have a good grip on your arm today."_

 _"Me? You're the one who's lookin' good, grandpa! That kimono looks fantastic on you!"_

 _"Is that right? Heh, then I'm glad I remembered to store this heirloom in a safe place from the moths..."_

 _As both men let out a laugh or two, Athena felt her face fall with sadness and envy at their cheery attitudes, before turning to head to the kitchen to grab her lunch and something to eat for breakfast..._

 _"Hey, wait a sec: Isn't that your school bag?"_

 _She stops...and mutters to Terry,_

 _"Might be."_

 _"So, you're heading to school, on a Saturday?"_

 _"...Yes."_

 _"Oh god, please tell me you didn't get detention..."_

 _Feeling depressed and a little angry that her brother would assume something like that, Athena whirls around to shoot him a cold glare while exclaiming,_

 _"Why must you always draw up the conclusion that I'm in trouble?!"_

 _Said addressed and Homare flinch back, surprised by such a response, while the girl, suddenly not feeling hungry anymore, fast-walks into the next room to shove her lunchbag and water bottle into her backpack before rushing out the door, much to the other two's dismay._

 _"Uh...! Addy!"_

 _"Oh my..."_

End of Flashback

Gritting her teeth slightly, the girl with red irises rubs a hand over her face to cool her frustrations, before residing into a new jog...A few minutes later, Astral, who was silently floating beside the girl until this point would suddenly ask,

"Athena, why did you decide to not tell your family about School Spirit Day?"

She stops over at the crosswalk, and replies quietly,

"...It's not like I didn't try...but honestly, I kind-of lost my drive to after hearing about their plans. Plus, I remembered that Adam is assisting a professor at the university this morning, so..."

"...Are they not suppose to come?"

"Mm, well, it doesn't really matter to me if they do or not. They did go last year..."

 _It's just...they're not the faces I want to see there._

Noticing the light changing green, Athena shakes her depressing thoughts away and puts on a small, semi-fake smile while thinking aloud,

"Alright. Just need to cross here, dash down another few streets and I'll be at scho-...Huh?"

That's when the girl feels something was missing from her person...a very important something at that.

"...Oh, shi-No, no-no-no-no...!"

"What is wrong?"

"It's gone! My pendant! It's not on me!"

"What?! Where is it?!"

...Shortly after discovering that Athena's golden pendant was no longer with her, she and Astral would begin a major reverse of their steps to comb around the streets to find it...

"Do you really believe that it simply 'fell from your neck'?"

"I don't know, maybe! Damn it, it just had to be today..."

"We are going to have to retrace your steps exactly. Athena, this is very important to me."

Coming to a stop by that same path near the knoll overlooking the river, Athena turns to glare at Astral while exclaiming a bit loudly,

"You think it isn't important to me?! Mph...It's, not as if that key came to me on a whim. My...my dad gave it to me."

That struck an interest for the being from beyond:

 _...Her father gave her the Key? What could this mean?_

 _Could Athena's father have some connection to me and my purpose here?_

 _...This is most intriguing._

Focusing back to reality, he watches as the girl with red irises moves to sit on the grass with her head in her hands and her knees up, most likely trying not to stress out and decide on the next place to look for the pendant.

"Haaoh man..."

"...Athena."

"Hm?"

She looks up to meet the other's eyes as he then asks,

"Could you tell me about your father?"

Something strange stirred in Athena's gut when the question was procured, and she looks out to the river for a moment to quell the feeling, before replying,

"...Whadda you wanna know?"

"What kind of person is he?"

A small, sincere smile forms on the girl's lips as she thought of how to describe her father.

"...The kind that always had fun. He doesn't like to sit around for too long, especially when adventure called his name...I remember, one time he took me along on one of his expeditions to this old canyon in the mountains far out of Heartland..."

Flashback

 _Somewhere high up a large chasm wall, we find two long figures climbing up the face with a single line of rope attaching them: Orion Fujina, clad in his explorer gear, leading along his youngest child, Athena, back when she was about seven years of age, her hair already reaching past her mid-back, wearing a light blue t-shirt under a black vest, green khaki shorts, and small brown hiker shoes, her back carrying a knapsack._

"Heh, as much as it was cool to actually freestyle climb with dad...the high altitude was really intimidating. In the right setting, Nature sure knows how to make you feel small..."

 _Sensing some rising anxiety from the younger, Orion turns to chide with a smile,_

 _"What's wrong, Athena? You didn't look down now, did you?"_

 _"D-Dad...I'm not sure I can go further..."_

 _"What are you saying? We're almost there."_

 _"But, I...I'm scared!"_

"And while we were out on our little adventure, mom stayed home with my brothers and grandpa...You know, it still amazes me how protective Terry is considering how he used to be so jealous of me."

"Jealous? For what reason?"

"Well, according to what Adam's told me..."

 _"Uuuugh, you gotta be kidding! How come Addy got to go rockclimbing with Dad and not me?!"_

 _We zoom in on the Fujina Residence, where Terry, back when he was about fifteen and in highschool, as evident by his uniform of a black blazer over a white shirt, black tie, pants and brown shoes, was complaining in the doorway to the backyard about his youngest sibling being 'in the spotlight' so to speak. Adam, back when he was but a year ahead of his brother, shook his head with an exasperated smile while sitting on the right side of the porch before chiding,  
_

 _"Bro, don't you think you're overreacting just a touch?"_

 _Homare, who was sitting in a kneel on the left side of the entrance, adds with a joking sort of smile,_

 _"Yes, you make it sound as if you don't want to spend time with the rest of your family."_

 _The redheaded male squints his grey eyes back and forth between his older brother and grandfather in annoyance._

 _"Hmph. Who asked you two?"_

 _He then lets out another aggravated sigh and plops down to sit down with one knee propped up, before muttering with a pout,_

 _"Whatever...little sis should count herself lucky in being the favourite..."_

 _"Now Terry, you know better than that."_

 _He looks up to meet the red irises of his mother, Sarina, as she finished hanging a few sheets on some clotheslines, her feathered red hair fluttering some in the coming breeze and highlighting her outfit of a cream pink off-shoulder swing top, a long pale yellow eyelet skirt with a simple brown belt clipped loosely around her waist, while her feet were currently bare._

 _"Your father just wanted to spend some special one-on-one time with your sister, just as he's done with you and Adam...Say, here's an idea: Why don't we all treat ourselves to a fancy dinner tonight?"_

 _That seemed to perk Terry's mood up considerably:_

 _"Really, mom?! That's sounds awesome! Oh-oh, and I know this really great new sushi place we can go to! Yoko said it's been getting raving reviews since it opened..."_

 _Adam smiled teasingly at his younger brother:_

 _"Ooooh, taking advice from your girlfriend, bro?"_

 _"Shut up! She's not my girlfriend! As if I'd ever date her; she's too aggressive."_

"Tcheheheh, it's still so ironic that he and Yoko began dating about a month after that day...But I'm getting off topic: Anyway, dad and I eventually made it to the top of that rock face and set camp on a wide cliff side..."

 _Turning to around dusk, we see the little red-eyed girl sitting with a glum expression by the edge of the cliff overlooking the valley, her hunched body highlighted by the dim fire glow..._

 _Orion would soon come over to check on her:_

 _"Hey, sweetheart...I've got a question for you."_

 _Without looking to meet his grey irises with her red, she asks quietly,_

 _"What is it, dad?"_

 _Sipping away some sort of hot beverage from a travel cup (either coffee or hot chocolate), he asks with a gentle smile,_

 _"Is everything alright? Your mom tells me that something happened at school last week..."_

"I should've known that was the reason he suddenly wanted to do some father-daughter time...See, I used to get bullied constantly by kids during elementary school. Nothing too serious, but, my self-esteem definitely took some hard hits, 'specially during duels..."

 _Smiling a bit bitterly, little Athena replies,_

 _"Oh, that?...Hah, it wasn't that big of a deal. Just a few boys teasing me..."_

 _"Uh-huh..."_

 _"...Say, dad?"_

 _"Yes, Athena?"_

 _The smile fades to be replaced with a sad frown as the young soul mutters,_

 _"Any chance, that, I could...stop going to school?"_

 _"How come?"_

 _"(...Sniff) Because...because I don't think I can handle things anymore..."_

 _Athena buried her face into her knees to stop herself from bursting into tears, her little body shaking slightly from the social pressures she was facing. Orion felt his grey irises dilate with concern at seeing his youngest child so depressed, before he turned his view to the appearing stars._

 _"...You know, Athena, we live in a complicated world."_

 _"Complicated?...In, what way?"_

 _"Well for starters, the world we know isn't the only world. There are actually multiple worlds, all connected."_

 _The little girl with long black hair tipped copper-red looks up at her father with curiousity, and feeling her stare, the man with short spiky black hair kneels down to grab a small rock to trace a simple diagram for his daughter._

 _"Let me show you: So, over here we have a world full of adventure and possibility. But, then here, we have a world full of negativity, people saying no all the time. What's crazy is that these worlds both exist in the same place."_

 _"Really?"_

 _"Truly. The people who live in this world inhabit the same time and space, as the people who live in this world over here...Take those kids at school for instance: Sounds like they live in the Negative World. But you on the other hand, live in the World of Possibility, where people dare to dream."_

 _A new smile begins to appear on the young girl's face thanks to her father's words._

 _"I do...I love to dream! So, will I be able to stay in this world forever?"_

 _Wrapping Athena into a hug, Orion replies wholeheartedly,_

 _"Of course you will, you little daredevil. As long as you keep looking to the future and set goals for yourself."_

 _"What kind of goals, dad?"_

 _With a small chuckle, the older male scoops the small child into the air, making her squeak with a laugh before he replies,_

 _"Any kind!"_

 _Setting her onto his shoulders, Orion chides to his daughter,_

 _"You just have to listen to your heart, and feel the flow of everything surrounding you. You decide who you want to be, then go out there and be that person. Don't you have any dreams, Athena?"_

 _"Uuum...Yeah! I do! I wanna be like you and mom, mark my place in the big books! I wanna duel among the greats!...But, everyone I tell just laughs and says I have no chance in heck, except for Tiffany..."_

 _"Aaah, because unlike your best friend, those people don't live in our world."_

 _Athena frowns in realization:_

 _"They don't?"_

 _"No...They're trapped in the other world, the one filled with Doubt and Negativity. It's nearly impossible for people stuck in that world to dream, to imagine the endless possibilities. Those people can only see What Is, and what they cannot see is What Could Be."_

 _"Oh...That's sad. Doesn't everyone deserve the chance to dream?"_

 _Orion's smile grew a little at hearing the care his daughter had for others, and sets her to her feet before replying,_

 _"They do...Some just take longer to enter the World of Possibility. Not everyone is born an adventurer like you and me."_

 _The little girl hums, before her father then says,_

 _"Athena, always remember to challenge yourself, and don't be afraid to do what others don't, or say you can't do."_

 _"(Nod) Mhm. Okay, dad, I'll remember."_

 _"Good...Now, what do you say to having a duel with your old man?"_

 _That took Athena back considerably:_

 _"Huh?! Really, here and now?"_

 _"Sure! It'll be fun...And then tomorrow, you and I will climb even higher."_

"To hear him sound so encouraging...it empowered me a great deal. Suddenly, life didn't seem so hard...Yet, thinking of the old days sometimes fills me with guilt, for I would forget his teachings for a while after, those incidents just a few years later..."

"But, you were hurting, were you not?"

"I was...I was also vulnerable, an easy target to being suede by the negative side of the world...which only makes me all the more determined to fight for my dad's teachings in these new days. Remind myself of everything I learned from his spirit. I, don't think I can get back my heart's innocence...but it comforts me to know my memories will keep that wide-eyed girl safe...One of the best teaching methods dad used with me, was when we dueled."

 _A few minutes later, we see that father and daughter were engaged in a spirited Duel Monster battle...The latest turn would belong to Orion.  
_

 _"Alright, here goes! Now I Overlay Level Four Gogogo Golem, and Ganbara Knight. With these two monsters, I build the Overlay Network!"_

 _Athena's eyes widen with awe:_

 _"Whoa!"_

 _"I XYZ Summon...Doh, I forgot: I don't have any XYZ Monsters in this deck!"_

 _The two monsters would stream back to the field while falling over in exasperation at their wielder, while the red-eyed girl holds her hands over her mouth to cover a spout of giggles._

 _"You...You forgot you had no XYZ?! Daaaad!"_

 _He just belts out a hearty laugh in return...A little while later, the father-daughter duo would be laying in their sleeping bags inside their tent, ready to drift off to sleep...That is, until Athena asks,_

 _"Hey, dad?"_

 _"Yeah?"_

 _"...Do you have a big dream?"_

 _"Oh! Well, yes...a rather simple one, too. (Points upward) I want to journey, to discover the edge of the world."_

 _...Something about how her father conversed the thought made the little girl burst into another giggle fit, which prompted him to ask,_

 _"What's the joke?"_

 _"I-It's an awesome goal, don't get me wrong, dad...but how can you find Earth's edge? It's round, like a circle!"_

 _A light blush of embarrassment dusts Orion's cheeks as he scratches the back of his head with a humoured grin._

 _"Ah, heh, I suppose that's true..."_

 _"You'd just go rollin', like a snowball!"_

 _The both of them were soon laughing and chuckling aloud at the thought, their smiles not fading even after they eventually fell asleep..._

End of Flashback

"We were just goofing around with the theories back then...but now, I'm not so sure..."

"Not so sure about what?"

Athena lays back in the grass as she mutters with a sigh,

"Well...for starters, there was the incident that came after my adventure with Dad in the mountains, when he and mom went to someplace far up the northern part of the globe. From what I remember in their oral account, they became separated from the main archaeology team during a snowstorm. They had to rely on virtually nothing but their own wits to try and navigate through the unforgiving cold...That's when something strange happened: They, encountered a light that shined brighter than the natural Aurora Borealis..."

"A light?"

"Yeah...Then the ground began to shake, and it opened up a new chasm, nearly taking both my parents with it. Dad fell, and mom tried to pull him back up, but the cold had sapped alot of her strength, so she wasn't strong enough...Seeing that, dad...he chose to sacrifice himself to save mom, by, cutting the safety rope tying them together."

Astral gasps, and mumbles with wide eyes,

"He...gave his life, to save your mother's..."

"Yeah...but it worked out in the end, because, somehow, he survived. It was as if something in that light sent the message to not be afraid, that his life would be spared too. He, never went into too many details about what he experienced...but it must've been epic and life-changing. Anyway, the search and rescue team would find him about halfway down the chasm a few days later, bruised and with a broken arm and leg...But he was alive, and...he had the key in his right hand."

"But how did he obtain it?"

"Like I said, he never really spoke much...aside from some things my young mind couldn't really understand in full at the time. 'Lights, Other Worlds'...The doctor dismissed it as part of the aftereffects of dehydration and exhaustion...But now that I think about it, (narrows eyes) what dad spoke of, sounds alot like what I've been seeing as of late..."

Astral's mismatched gold and white irises widen a little again, before he settled into staring at the girl as he went into thought over what she revealed.

 _Athena's father found the Key on that journey._

 _Perhaps it unlocks a door of some sort, a door that connects this world with another...my world._

"...Oh, right! It would've been about a month after that day, that dad would give me the Key. It was during another bad duel against those same boys who were giving me a hard time about my personal goals. I was feeling ready to call it quits, when dad showed up and reminded me about the World of Possibility before tossing the pendant my way. Holding it in my hands for the first time..."

The young teen reaches to put a hand over her chest where her currently missing pendant would've sat, closing her eyes in rapture.

"It felt like I was on cloud nine...My confidence came barreling back, and I promised dad I would never give up, always strive to leave my mark on the world..."

...Athena's mouth then forms a sad frown as she adds,

"It was, about two days afterward, that he and mom went on another expedition, one of their biggest ones yet, or so they proclaimed...They never returned. I did my best to remain hopeful, still kind-a do...hah, but come that dreaded day four years later, when I was, kidnapped...my hope shattered like someone threw a block of titanium through a thin window."

Astral's mouth gaped slightly, before forming a sympathetic frown as he recalls the ominous details that have been slowly resurfacing within the girl's mind regarding that event in question...Getting up to her feet to move on in their search for the pendant, Athena then mentions,

"You know...it was actually the key itself that helped keep my head up with that innocent hope when I was young, and, while I still dunno how it even stayed on my neck at the time...it was there, during those sketchy days I was held captive by those monsters that dare call themselves humans. Somehow, its presence managed to keep me the slightest bit sane, allowing a shred of my fleeting hope to hang on."

"In other words, it acted as a protection of sorts?"

"Heh, yeah, I guess...It's also become a small part of my identity. I, don't feel like me without it...Probably why I went so hella-crazy after I was brought home from the side of that back road."

The being of blue looks at the girl with confusion, and she says,

"Oh, I didn't tell you? During that whole 'Berserker' phase, I didn't have the pendant around my neck at all."

"You didn't?"

"No. At some point during the early days of frequenting to the Fallen Stars, before I went completely numb to the world, I must've decided to tuck the Key away somewhere safe until the day my true self would wake up again. That place, by the way, is that little treasure box on my desk corner, a gift from Grandpa for my ninth birthday. Used to belong to my grandma, before she, you know, passed on before I was born..."

A somewhat faltering smirk forms on Athena's face as she then thinks aloud,

"My subconscious was pretty smart, not letting the pendant see that ugly side of me...I scared everyone, even myself when I choked back to reality...Anyway, once I finally decided to tell my 'Berserker' persona to take a hike, and slipped the key back around my neck...everything became that much more clear again. If anything...I owe the key my life."

Astral does not miss that last mumbled sentence, and would find himself staring at the human before his vision with an unreadable expression for the next little while as they continued to backtrack this morning's path...

Meanwhile, down at the Heartland Dueling Academy, the event known as School Spirit Day was going underway, with the bodies of adults mixing in with their children up and down each classroom.

Zooming in on the room used for Mister Kay's First-Year math class, we find Caswell and Flip, er, fawning over the sight of one of the parents that came today.

"Look at Tiffany's mom!"

"She's like an angel...!"

Getting a look at the woman in question, we see that she reflected her daughter's appearance quite well, from the black bobbed hair to the cornflower blue irises. She was wearing a white button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up, a cream pencil skirt and black low heels, her simple outfit only highlighting her natural beauty.

Of course, Tiffany herself wasn't particularly pleased by her guy friends ogling over her mother, and was about to make the motion to scold them, only for her father to beat her to the punch.

"Ahem. What was that you said about my wife, _boys_?"

Officer Arata Quen was a fairly intimidating individual when he wanted to be, his appearance being that of a strong-muscled male with olive-pale skin, dark brown hair styled into a flattop cut, facial hair trimmed in the Zappa style, and dark blue irises. He of course wasn't wearing his police uniform today, choosing to wear a casual button-up gray shirt with an open black men's coat overtop, dark blue denim jeans, and black shoes. One glance at his raised eyebrow and unimpressed glare, and poor Caswell and Flip were cringing back with frightened expressions while exclaiming,

"Uh-Uh, nothing, sir!"

So while Tiffany had a reason to laugh silently behind her hand, and her mother Zuna shook her head with an exasperated smile at her husband, Jamal was receiving a reason to be embarrassed thanks to his own mother and her habit of prying into his um, personal life.

"Soo~, tell me, how are things going with little Addy? Or have your eyes been wandering again?"

"Ma, please, not here at school, and for the last time, we're just friends!"

Amahle Jukino lets out a small giggle at seeing the blush dusting her son's cheeks...We see that she's a woman blessed with remarkable height, dark chocolate pigmentation making up her skin, deep hazel eyes, short black coarse hair, and wore an outfit consisting of a sunset-patterned ruffle skirt reaching her ankles, strapped sandals of white, and a black spaghetti-strap halter top under a red shrug.

...Anyway, Zuna then notices that her daughter's BFF wasn't anywhere in the classroom, and she asks,

"Is, Athena not coming to school today, Tiffany?"

"...I'm not sure. I mean, she did sign up to do a performance for music class, but...given her opinion on this event..."

Tiffany then feels a hand on her shoulder, and looks up to see her father giving her a smile of reassurance.

"I wouldn't get too worried, dear. After all, since she's smartened away from that bad road...She's slowly become more determined to seize each day, despite some difficulties that stand in her way. I have a feeling we will be seeing her today."

"Hm...I hope you're right, dad."

By this point, said girl of conversation had combed her way back to her house...where she would find her missing key pendant!

"Aaaagh, you gotta be kid-(Shakes her head) that's just cold, universe, real cold..."

Astral's lips were curved into an otherwise small smile of amusement as opposed to Athena's smile that said 'really, just...why?', both pairs of eyes staring at the golden pendant that was sitting on the floor next to the head of the bed.

"So, it was laying here the whole time."

"Christ, the knot of the string must've come undone last night and it just fell off when I rolled over in my sleep. I don't even wanna know how I could've missed it earlier this morning..."

Picking up the fallen necklace, Athena reties the knot while mumbling something that sounded like 'Should consider a chain...' before tugging the whole accessory around her neck once more. She then looks down at the photograph of her parents with a sincere and somewhat distant smile as she whispers,

"...Least I had a double pair of eyes watching over it."

She then moves to exit her bedroom and into the hallway...only to meet a familiar face halfway down the stairs.

"Huh? Adam!"

The tamed mullet-haired young adult was currently wearing a light brown button-up shirt under a black blazer, dark brown khaki pants, and grey dress shoes, his right shoulder carrying the strap of his leather laptop bag.

"Addy? What're doin' here? I thought you'd be down at the Academy by now for School Spirit Day."

"Uh...You, remembered?"

He smiles warmly at his surprised younger sibling and chides,

"Of course I do. I would never forget this day of all days...In fact, I had just come home to drop off my work bag before heading down to see you, but, heh, looks like I'll be carting you there too."

"Adam..."

"Motor up to the bathroom and get changed into your uniform, sis. It's not too late to make it down."

Homare's POV

My reunion with my former highschool friends has been going quite well so far, and right now, I'm sitting with one my old best friends/first girlfriend, Yuki (who is the grandmother of one of Addy's friends) at a table in this high-end restaurant chosen to host the event...

"So tell me, Yuki, how is business at your flower and garden shop?"

 _It still amazes me that the wild woman I met many years ago had chosen a rather mild career..._

"Steady as always, though my prized chrysanthemums have become a popular seller once again."

"Heheh, no surprise: You've developed such a strong green thumb!"

"Why thank you, Homare dear. Heh, mind you, the visits from your grandchildren to procure some of my various organic soils definitely helps."

We both let out a laugh at that, knowing what exactly those bags of dirt were being used for...

"So how are your grandsons and granddaughter doing lately?"

"Oh, the boys are busy with their trades as usual, and as for little Addy...well, things are slowly looking better for her after that small spell of a down mood."

"Ah yes, my granddaughter Tiffany mentioned something on those lines a few times these recent weeks..."

My smile falters the slightest, but I then say,

"But Athena is a strong girl, much like her parents. Somehow, she always finds a way to bounce back from her depressive moments. And I know some of the thanks must go to the good friends she has..."

Yuki smile softens as she replies,

"Yes, good friends are always an excellent catalyst for the hard times. Tiffany cares immensely for your granddaughter...And since we're talking about our grandkids, do you know if one of your grandsons has gone down to the Academy for that event that's happening today?"

 _Hm? Event?_

 _...Uh! Oh my: School Spirit Day! How could I have-Oh...of course._

 _That must've been why Athena left the room without a word yesterday, and why she was so moody this morning._

"Hm? Homare; is something wrong?"

I did not answer my old friend, distracted by a feeling of guilt slowly rising in my being for not being more observant.

 _Athena..._

Terry's POV

I was in the reception hall chatting with Yoko after the wedding ceremony had run its course, sipping some punch while admiring how pretty she looked today. She wore a knee-length, off the shoulder dress that matched her bubblegum pink hair, a pair of two-inch black heels, and a silver charm necklace/earring set that made her eyes pop.

 _God, she really makes it hard not to pull her into a closet for a makeout session..._

 _Gah, no Terry! Not at Miko's Wedding, Jesus!_

"You're staring aga~in..."

 _Crap! Busted..._

My face colours over considerably as I rub the back of my head with a nervous chuckle, she smirking at me knowingly.

"Mind you, I can hardly take my eyes off you in that dapper suit."

"Ah-heh, thanks...So, how are things goin' for you at the news station?"

"Great! I've been offered a few chances of air time for the noon hour, and I'm currently chasing a new scoop related to the, (whispers) Duel Monster Counterfeit Ring."

"Oh wow...You are remembering to be careful with your sources, right?"

"Of course, of course...How 'bout you and your mechanic business? Any new projects?"

I wave a casual hand and reply,

"Nothin' big, just alot of vehicle repairs at that chop shop..."

"Ah...So with you buzzin' back and forth between work and home, I guess your brother or your grandpa went to the Academy today?"

"Huh? What for?"

"You know, School Spirit Day. I know since one of my cousins drags their folks there each year..."

 _...Wait...School Spirit Day's today?!_

 _...Oh, crap._

 _(Flash)_

 _"...Um, hey bro."_

 _"...If it's not obvious, I am busy with work."_

 _(Flash)_

 _...God, how could I have been so stupid?!_

"Terry? What's wrong?"

Setting my drink down, I began making my way out of the room at a fast pace while calling over my shoulder,

"Sorry, Yoko, but I gotta go and get Gramps! You okay on your own?"

"Uh, (smile) sure! I can bump Miko for a ride! Call me later!"

...Soon enough, I was driving along the highway in my red truck down the direction where that restaurant Grandpa was supposed to be for his reunion today, my mind racing over my little sister.

"...Athena..."

I, couldn't help but think back to that talk Adam and I had with, mom and dad before they went missing, in this very vehicle...

How serious their voices were, when they spoke about Athena's dueling soon leading her to moments where she'll have to take risky chances. I was such a spiteful teen in those days, not appreciating being handed a load of responsibility. Adam seemed to take it in calmly enough, though, which was no surprise: Out of the two of us, he has the cool collected kind of head, while I'm a bit more temperamental. The only thing we shared...was a growing worry for our parents and why they sounded as if they would never come back...

 _So far, that fear seems to be coming true...and Addy's definitely gone through Hell and back already._

 _But, that had nothing to do with dueling, or at least I can finally not relate the two challenges to one another anymore._

My face forms into a determined frown, as I mentally concluded while revving up my speed,

 _Still, whatever she has to face next...I won't be a dumbass and let her face it without support._

 _I'll maintain my promise to watch out for my baby sister...as long as you hold onto your word that you'll come home someday, mom, dad._

Small Time Skip, Athena's POV

"Hahaha, so you wound up joggin' all the way back home only to find your pendant laying on your bedroom floor? Aoh sis..."

After riding with my mullet-haired brother in his little silver Honda, we eventually parked in the lot for the academy and quickly walked out way inside for my math class with Mister Kay.

Smirk-glaring at him as we approach the door to the room, I retort,

"Oh cut me some slack, Adam: How was I suppose to know that today would be the day my necklace string would wimp out on me?"

We both let out a laugh as we enter inside...only to find ourselves caught by the multi-eyed stares of the crowd of parents (some I knew through friends and neighbours), my fellow classmates, and of course, my teacher.

"Nice of you to join us, Athena, (glance) and I see your brother Adam's joining us today."

We both smile awkwardly and wave to the brunette at the podium:

"Ah-heh, hey sir."

"Sorry 'bout the late arrival. My bad: Took the wrong route in my car this morning and we wound up stuck in traffic for a few hours."

 _Weeeell, technically, that's not what delayed us, but we're not gonna bother borin' everyone with the real stories..._

"I, see...Hah, very well, (tired smile) if you'll just have a seat then, Athena."

I salute Mister Kay and made my way to my seat that sat around with my friends, who were looking at me with expressions that playfully read 'Is that really what happened?', prompting me to hold a finger over my lips with a secretive smile.

...Anyway, moving along, we soon had gym class with the Vault Box Challenge as our main activity to show to the visiting adults. Tiffany did real well and managed to hop over five blocks with no mistakes, while poor Cas faltered at the last second of his hurl forward and fell flat on his face on the other side of the stack. I went up against Cade and Jamal to see who could stick the landing best with ten block stacks (didn't bother with the double-or-nothing twenty this time), and it would be the boy of feline finesse who came up on top compared to some slight stumbling of mine and my other guy friend's footing. Plus side: All three of us passed with good marks.

 _Now...comes my little showcase._

By that, I was talking about my music performance I was doing with a few of the kids that made up our First-Year Band Class, after we heard from a few other students, including a trumpet player who belted out his own twist on a pop song I can't remember the title to.

I'm leaning up against the back wall of the big classroom near the steps leading to the mini stage set up, waiting for my turn and peering over the faces young and old with a relaxed expression, my eyes hovering over Adam's form a touch in thought over this whole school event.

 _Well, looks like it'll be just him this year...Hah, oh well, better one than zilch, I guess._

 _...But even if all three were here...they can't really replace..._

"Athena Fujina and company. You're up."

 _Ah! Right, gotta focus, or I won't remember jack to sing._

I let out an inaudible sigh before moving to walk up on stage to the sound of polite claps...

"...Athena!"

 _Uh!...Terry?_

Darting my head to the crowd of parents, I saw my other older brother and grandpa suddenly come shoving their way to the front near Adam!

"Athena."

"G-Gramps? Terry?...What are you two doing here?"

"We're suppose to be here, but you didn't speak up!"

"Seriously, Addy, did you actually think we'd be okay with missing School Spirit Day?!"

Hearing how real they sounded...made something inside me pop like a balloon, but it was relieving in its own way.

"...You two...You actually came."

Their expressions shift from stern to soft smiles at hearing how bated my voice was, which then drifted to confused when my other brother quirks with a sideglancing smile of his own,

"Uh, does that mean you guys didn't get my earlier text message reminder?"

"What reminder?" "Text message?"

Terry and Gramps pull out their gazers to look at...before forming those 'ugh, you gotta be kidding' type expressions.

"Agh, really?!"

"This is precisely why I hold a strong dislike to modern technology!"

Everybody bursts into laughter and chuckles, while I held my head with an exasperated smirk.

 _Ooooi, one thing after another today, I tell ya..._

"Show them what you have to offer, Addy!"

Snapping out of my humoured thoughts, I look up to see Tiffany giving me a smile of encouragement, along with Jamal, Caswell, Cade and Flip.

"Belt it, Addy!" "Blow 'em away!"

"You'll be great!" "Show them your raw vocals!"

 _Guys..._

Even Astral nodded at me with his own small upturn of lip...Smiling back, I call out,

"Okay: The song choice I made for today, is by one of my favourite alternative rock bands known as The Cranberries. It's called...Ode To My Family."

(Note: I do not own this song nor any references related. That right solely belongs to said band, including the lead singer whom shall remain immortal forever, _Dolores O'Riordan_. May your voice continue to echo on in the hearts of your fans, my friend.)

A fall of hushed whispers caresses the walls of this room as I walked onto the medium-large platform where the raised stool was for me, the lead singer, which sat between two guys who would be covering me with the Bass and Rhythm Guitar. Another dude was on drums, while set up next to a small group of two guys and three girls making up a quintet of violins, was Hana, a mutual friend-through-a-friend who would make up the extra beat with the tambourine as well as act as my supporting vocals.

Just as I ready myself to sit, I reach down and grab something I had set on the floor next to the stool as part of the symbolic reason for doing this song.

"Most music performers these days have someone or something to dedicate their songs to, and today, I'll be one of those people..."

I slip the item on, causing a few murmurs of confusion and a few well-placed, quiet, familiar gasps to sound.

"This number goes out to two people, whom while I wish could be here...I know will be listening from wherever they are right now. These dual items on me, my leather jacket, and my key, will stand in their place...Mom...Dad...this one's for us, and our family."

With that, I sat down, gently groped for the old school microphone I requested to be set up, and crooned out the first scatted notes, which were quickly met with the tones of the guitars, and the soft jingle of that tambourine...

I've listened to the songs of this band so many times now, I could mimic that unique feminine lead to almost a perfect T, right down to the beauty of her near yodeling, deep yet sweet, like dark-chocolate fudge. Lemme tell you, that absentminded practice certainly paid off, seeing the expressions of awe on everyone's faces as I read out the long limerick poem...

The words themselves struck something important in my soul, bouncing back and forth between true and dramatic memory, my very heart yearning for the days of my innocence when the world wasn't so shadowed by the black, when, family didn't seem so distant. During the first round of the chorus, I found myself tearing up slightly, thinking of the faces of my own folks...Even so, I kept smiling in a distant and fragmented happy way, letting the sadness drift away with the lone drip of water that fell from my eye...

The end came sooner than the start, and once the held note from the guitars faded away, the room echoed with soft and loud claps, with a few cheers of praise mixed in. I merely bowed modestly with the other band students before walking off the stage, feeling my body shake a little from the emotions I released between the tides of notes.

 _Holy, crap...Now I know why some people say that singing is like breathing for the Soul._

 _...And speaking of souls..._

An image of my mom and dad passes before my closed eyes, and I suck in a gentle breath while mumbling,

"I know they did."

"They did what, Athena?"

I turned my eyes up right to meet Astral's, and smiled as I mused quietly,

"...My parents...They heard me. The melody reached them."

His eyes widen a touch, before he too smiled and replies,

"Yes, I understand what you mean: I too felt as if this performance traveled beyond here..."

He then looks at me with a little concern and says to me,

"By the way, I could not help but notice you got a little, emotional as it were, up on stage..."

It was my turn to widen my own irises the slightest from his mild worry over me, and I replied with a reassuring smile,

"Oh, that?...Yeah, I'm okay. The lyrics just, brought out some things I usually try to hide from the outside world. It felt like I was allowing other eyes to see me vulnerable, which I guess, was why I chose this song."

"Hm?"

I turn to look over at the faces of my friends and family, who were looking at me with mixes of understanding and shock from my performance, a few even having some unshod tears in the corners of their eyes...

"This song, allowed me to show some of my inner self to the people I care about, even with the strangers between. I...I want to be able to open myself to people I can trust again, and this was a part of a much bigger step."

"Ah..."

Shaking my head a bit, I then wave a hand over to everyone, who came to pile me with their supporting hugs and watery praises, myself just soaking it all in...to help seal some of the harder-to-find cracks in my heart.


	20. Pitch-Black Hostility

Come a couple days after the annual School Spirit Day at the Heartland Dueling Academy, we find three of the school's students, Athena, Tiffany and Jamal, atop a tall skyscraper building in the middle of the downtown city with a helicopter landing pad traced on the floor of the roof, as the former and Astral take on yet another unknown male duelist whom had become the shell of a newly-surfaced Number Card.

The duel itself was reaching close to its climax sooner than it began, the sunset meeting the horizon outside the AR World, with the challenger having three Level Two monsters with the countenances of viral skin cells at ready, while the girl with red irises held her signature XYZ Monster, Number 39: Utopia on her side of the field...

Yet despite the obvious advantage she had, Athena had been sensing something suspicious and false under the pretext of this battle since it started.

 _...Hmm..._

"I Overlay three Level Two Giant Germs!"

The other two young teens gasp as the cell-shaped monsters shift into blue-violet streams of light to go diving into the opened vortex.

"And these germs are gonna make you feel sick 'cause now I can build the Overlay Network!"

Jamal exclaims against the wind,

"Crap, here comes the XYZ!"

"Now appear Number 96: Black Mist!"

...Though the tall shape that would come out to greet the dueling field, was not what anyone could've anticipated. Instead of some sort of ginormous monster of sinister silhouette, we instead find ourselves staring at a blobbing mass of smoky black ooze in a mock humanoid shape just over eleven foot tall, the numeral ninety-six acting as its eyes, Rank Two with a startling low 100 Attack Points.

"Huh? Didn't see this coming. Even Baby Tiragon would look stronger in comparison to that mess..."

Tiffany nodded in agreement with Jamal, if a little distracted by her disgust at the monster's appearance.

"Urh, it's so creepy too, like the living version of the La Brea Tar Pits..."

Athena's eyes narrow a fraction further, taking in the words of her friends while her own distrust towards this duel grew.

 _Something about this doesn't feel right: In every other Number Duel, the monster itself would make a huge effort to put up a fight, not wanting to be recaptured so quick by Astral..._

 _...But this one, Number, 96...It's like they're not even trying._

"It's like, they want to be caught...But why?"

"Athena?"

"Hm?"

She turns to meet irises with Astral, who then asks her in accordance to her deep thought expression,

"What are you thinking?"

"...That this duel is nothing but a load of bull."

"Huh?"

The girl faces up front again, sending a searching expression towards the oozing mass over yonder...which lets out a rumbled growl in return to the opponent's X-Ray staring...

"Addy!"

She pivots her head to the sidelines where her friends were standing, locking her red irises with Jamal's aqua, before he mutters with an odd, serious expression,

"...End this duel quick-like, okay?"

"Jamal...(Nod) Right."

 _You sense the feint too, huh?_

Facing the field again, Athena then calls out,

"Utopia, attack Black Mist! Cut 'em down with Rising Sun Slash!"

The golden-armoured monster heeds her command, and brings his blades down on the opposition, it letting out a pained howl before disintegrating into pixels and leaving its wielder to go tumbling backwards with his own yell, losing the last of his 1000 Life Points.

As the AR World faded away, Tiffany may have been smiling at the victory...but Jamal and Athena both held uncertain expressions that they shared with one another, silently agreeing,

 _...That was too easy._

Meanwhile, Astral focused on obtaining the defeated Number, its card shape floating into his outstretched hand at the same time the numeral symbol fades away from the possessed duelist's palm...

"Uh!"

(Pulse)

But the memory he would regain, would shake his being almost as badly as Numbers 61 and 19 did, that being an image of the plant Earth...being overridden with an evil purple energy...before crumbling apart in a huge explosion!

"...Astral?...Astral!"

He jolts out of his daze back to reality, and looks down to see Athena looking up at him with a concerned expression.

"Are you alright? Was it...another bad one? What did you see?"

The being from beyond couldn't reply at first, pausing halfway...  
But he then shuts his eyes with a troubled expression and mumbles,

"...Something greatly disturbing. Only...it was not my world this time."

"Not, Astral World? Then-Gh!...No...You don't mean-"

"Addy?"

Athena is interrupted from putting the startling pieces together by the sound of the other two teens approaching. Tiffany then asks with worry now dancing in her blue irises,

"What's wrong? I would've thought you'd be happy in getting another Number, but, you and Jamal don't seem excited, and now you're looking at Astral with worry..."

"Uh, well..."

"Maybe we shouldn't talk here."

The girls turn to Jamal, who says with that same serious look still plastered on his face,

"Let's get off this building first and back on the sidewalk."

...The four were soon making their way along a road that overlooked the distant Heartland City Tower, talking about the events that led up to this too strangely easy a win in the ongoing mission to restore Astral's memories. The girl with bobbed black hair was quite shocked to hear of her friend's suspicions and the disturbing image that the being in blue was forced to recall.

"No way! He, s-saw the Earth, being destroyed?!"

"That's right."

"...Oh wow. (Looks up) I'm so sorry for you, Astral; that must've been really frightening to see. I'd hug you, ah-heh, if I could, that is..."

Astral glances down at Tiffany with a small appreciative smile, which Athena would send through her own face.

"He appreciates your care, Tiff."

"Somethin' about this new sitch don't add up right."

Eyes fall to Jamal, who frowned with a glare directed to thought but absentmindedly at a brick wall of a nearby building.

"The way that random guy dueled you was way too reckless and fast-paced, yet had an underline of strategy, like, he was holding back. And the fact that he just challenged you right off the bat so aggressively, like you were enemies from another time. (Shakes head) I tell ya, it don't make sense!"

Athena folds her arms with her own frown of thought:

"The same was running through my head the second the duel started...And I think it may have all been some sort of botch of the Number's own make."

"Really?"

"Yeah...Not only that, but there was something about the way the monster presented itself that seemed, fake..."

The girl suddenly reaches into her deck holder to pull out the new Number, feeling a visual was needed in this conversation...and becomes baffled by what she saw.

"Huh?"

"What is it?"

"I...I can't see Black Mist's appearance. The picture is distorted."

"What?!" "Shut the front door; lemme see!"

Tiffany and Jamal move to crowd around their friend's shoulders while Astral hovered above her head, and all three would face the same dilemma.

"You're right...!"

"Nothin' but a bunch of blurry, black shapes..."

"This is different..."

Athena notes with a bit of edge in her voice,

"This only proves my suspicions: That monster wasn't fighting at true strength...It wanted to be caught."

The other two teens jump at the idea their friend postulated, before Tiffany stutters,

"I-I-It what?! Uh-heheh, Addy, are you sure you're not just getting paranoid?"

"I couldn't be anymore serious if I tried, Tiff. Black Mist is pulling a bluff of sorts...and I'm almost willing to bet that the flash of memory Astral saw, wasn't a memory at all."

Said being's mismatched gold/white irises widened considerably:

"Ah...! What, exactly are you suggesting?"

"I'm suggesting that maybe we're looking at something along the lines of a premonition of things to come. Like, maybe this Number's trying to send a message of what could happen in the future if we're not careful...Or maybe..."

Athena's red irises narrow into slits as she continued to stare at the XYZ card in her hand.

"Maybe, that image...is something the Number wants..."

 _It's own desire..._

(...Swipe)

"Auh!"

The thin rectangle is suddenly yanked out from between her fingers, by noneother than Jamal!  
He then glares down at the card, before moving to tuck it deep into the girl's deck holder again, much to her confusion.

"...Jamal?"

"Sorry...This might be my own paranoia talkin', but, I didn't like the way you were eyeballin' that Number...Kept feeling this vibe like it was gonna jump out and grab you."

Tiffany darted her eyes back and forth between her friends helplessly, before holding her palms up in front of her torso while exclaiming,

"Okay, now, you guys are talkin' freaky talk! Can we please just call it a night and go home before anything else happens?"

The other two teens look at her with some surprise, noticing how antsy she was becoming from this conversation...before forming small smiles and nodding.

"Alright, Tiffany."

"We'll save this for after a goodnight sleep."

"Haaah, thank you..."

Small Time Skip, Astral's POV

It would not be long until Athena and I had returned safely to her family home, and after attending to her evening rituals, she would soon be asleep under the covers of her bed, her face adorning an expression more relaxed than how it was earlier.

I waited until I was sure that the girl was deep in slumber with no signs of nightmares coming to plague her mind this night...before I materialized into the Key to tend to my own thoughts in solitude over recent events...

"With every new Number Card, a new memory reveals itself..."

I activate a new gear piece that held the numeral symbol for Number Ninety-Six...but not even the prospect of a new part of this mysterious apparatus moving could quell the unease in my soul over the image I had seen.

"...But this particular memory...has left me with more questions than answers."

 _And the suspicion that both Athena and Jamal felt from Black Mist...make my own all more prominent._

Time Skip, Athena's POV

It's been about three days since that duel I had against the stranger who possessed Number 96: Black Mist, and since then, Jamal and I had been jumping back and forth with our theories behind why the win seemed too easy and almost staged. Tiffany had been keeping herself out of the conversations for the most part, which was understandable since she's not a big fan of 'conspiracy talk'.

So for this lunchtime, it would just be me and my two close guy friends up on the rooftop (yes, I've labelled Astral as a close friend now; don't make me repeat it!) while Tiff decided to eat lunch with Hana and Calli today to catch up on more mundane things.

 _And I'm happy to stay out of girly conversations like that..._

"...Hey, Addy?"

I pivot my head left to meet Jamal's eyes, the two of us laying on our backs with our arms behind our heads.

"Hm? Yeah?"

"...You remember back when we first met, and how we didn't like eachother at all?"

A small, nostalgic kind of smirk graces my lips as I thought aloud about that time.

"Heh, sure do. We were only five and entering kindergarten, but hated eachother like oil and water. Didn't it start with some smart comment you made in class?"

"Yeah, somethin' on the lines of 'Pigs'll fly before a little stick of girl makes it among the Dueling Greats'. Heh, I was a grade-A dumbass."

"For thinking I'd take that comment lightly? I agree."

We both let out matching chuckles, while Astral's expression was reflecting confusion.

"I do not understand how not being nice to one another is humourous, nor how you two could have possibly hated one another if you are such good friends now."

Glancing up at the being, I quirk,

"Eh well, human interaction's a funny thing, Astral: You can hate someone one day, then high-five them with a smile the next. All depends on the social atmosphere, the kinds of vibes you feel from the people around you, and of course watchin' what you say."

Quickly catching onto the third party in this new conversation, Jamal chimes in,

"Certainly didn't help that I was a little pest back when, but then again, like mom always said, all men are born from bratty boys."

I felt a snort of amusement come on at the idea of Jamal's mom talking like that around his dad, but on the other hand...she's a feisty woman.

"...How the heck are your folks still married with comments like that?"

"Ha! Heck if I know...Anyway, if I remember right, no matter how many times I annoyed you, you just came swinging back harder."

"Uh-huh...It would've been that one day where you decided to tug my hair braids too many times, and I snapped before challenging you to a duel. Haha, what a bad idea that was."

Jamal lets out a laugh and sits himself up before replying,

"Yeah, for both of us: Neither of us knew what we were doin', both dueling amateurs with nothin' to gain other than half-ass ties and bruises."

"Still...something good came out of that childish quarreling. We began seeing eachother as more than just the stupid boy and stupid girl, rather, as potential companions."

I look up to meet my guy friend's aqua eyes, he looking down at my red, smiles on our faces as we thought about the friendship we forged since elementary school. True, we get on eachother's nerves every now and again, but you name me a set of friends who don't do that...

"So, what brought that highlight reel on?"

"(Shrug) Eh, dunno, moment of reminisce, I guess...And, maybe these latest conversations about that new Number you've got, and the whole memory versus premonition, just got me thinking of what could come for us in the future..."

That made me sit up with a raised brow:

"Huh? What're you talkin' about?"

"Come on, you gotta be wondering similar, Addy: This sudden jump in creepy memories that spell all kinds of bad for both Astral's homeworld and ours..."

Jamal's face forms into a glare as he mutters aloud,

"It's like what you said a few days ago, that, some of these digits are acting as warnings of something bad coming sooner than later."

"Jamal..."

"I'm certainly not pinning blame on Astral or anything. That'd be way unfair. If anything, this latest Number just makes more worried for him...and, for you."

He turns to look at me again, this time framing the concern like my brothers give me every time I come home with a new injury.

"I just, wanna be sure you know what you're getting into, Athena, 'cause if my paranoia alarm's right on the money...the jeopardy that you two are already juggling could increase tenfold...to when-"

I hold a hand over his mouth with a straight expression, knowing where he was going with his words.

"Okay, I'm just gonna stop you right there, 'cause you're heading down a road that hasn't even been paved over with the blacktop yet."

Removing my hand, I then say a bit more softly,

"But, don't think I don't appreciate your wanting to look out for me, (glances up) and for Astral."

"Addy..."

"You're a good friend, Jamal, one that I can always count on. (Smirk) Even if you used to pull my ponytails like a little brat."

Said boy's olive-black skin colours over slightly with a blush as he rubs the back of his head casual-like and replies,

"Ah-heh, well, if I can be honest, I might've done that...'cause I stupidly wanted to get your attention in one of those, kindergarten-crush ways."

"Oooh, the ole kiddie bunny ears gesture, huh? Smooth, man, real smooth."

"Hey! It worked, didn't it?"

"Psh, yeah, worked like a reeeeal charm..."

We both laugh and lightly shove eachother in a playful manner, choosing to spend the rest of the lunch hour keeping the atmosphere neutral and lighthearted...

Time Skip

 _Aah, the Weekend. Love it, wanna marry it..._

With another school week done and behind me, I can finally embrace the freedom of wearing what I like and not the conformity that was my education uniform. In this case, I'm wearing my pastel blue tanktop with an image of Kuriboh on it under my black leather jacket, a forest green ruffle skirt over a pair of black jeans with a rip on the left knee, and my brown work boots. I also added my red suspenders to hang over my hips, and tied my hair back into a plait with a little pink skull hair-clip that Tiffany got me for my birthday last year (one of the very few girlish accessories I own).

Speaking of her, she and Jamal were already waiting for me at that little plaza park area we said we'd all meet at this afternoon for some dueling fun.

"Hey, guys!"

My gal pal was wearing one of her more sugar-sweet outfits of a white swing dress with cherry blossom designs on it, a cream shrug jacket, knee-high white socks and pink flats, her left fringe held back some by her signature daisy hair clip. Meanwhile, Jamal was dressed in a simple lime green t-shirt, a pair of his baggy-style dark blue jeans with black suspenders attached and worn on his shoulders, black vans on his feet, and a bright orange ski cap over his dreadlocks.

They wave back to me with their own smiles, and I could see that Jamal already had his dueling equipment ready to go.

 _Heh, well aren't we prepared?_

"Out of the way, chick!"

"Huh?"

Next thing I knew:

(WHACK)

"Ugh!"

Some random highschooler came speeding in fast by my friends on his skateboard, before ramming into my side like he didn't know jack about judging distance! I felt the wind get knocked out of me, before crashing down to the pavement on my right...

"Addy!"

I hear the sounds of footsteps fast-approaching me, belonging to my frantic friends who pull me back up to my feet, before Jamal growls and calls to the retreating skater,

"Hey, watch where you're going, idgit!"

All they did in response was flip the bird with a careless laugh, making me scoff bitterly while brushing down my clothes.

 _What a douche...Huh? Wait: My pendant!_

"Where's my pendant?!"

"There it is."

"Huh?"

I look to where Tiffany was pointing, and saw that precious bit of gold laying on the ground a couple feet away from us.

 _Haaah, thank god..._

"Must've gotten knocked off when that jerk slammed ya...I'll get it."

"Thanks, Jamal. 'preciate it."

While we watched our friend jog over to where my Key got whapped over to, Tiffany says to me,

"You should really consider something stronger than that bit of string, Addy."

"Yeah, I know. I just haven't had the time to actually go shopping for a new neck chain..."

(Shhhlllll...)

"Huh?"

"Aaaah!"

I whirled around to look down at what Tiff was screaming at, and found myself staring with bulging eyes at this, tar-like ooze that was flooding out of my deck!

 _W-What the hell?!_

It only got worse and more out of whack, when it started shooting upward in these stringy tendrils, all around Astral until half of his original pigment scheme was overshadowed by black!

"What is happening...?!"

(Bzzzzt)

"Aaah-Rrrrrgh!"

"Astral!"

I tried to get over to him and help, but those beats of electricity and some of the black ooze prevented me from even touching him.

(Bzz)

"Gh!"

"Addy!"

Tiffany yanked me back with her arms around my waist, like the good protective friend she was.

"Don't get too close, or you'll get trapped with him!"

"But, Astral...!"

Her hold shifted to my right arm just as Jamal came to our proximity with my pendant in his hand, eyeing Astral's writhing form with worry dancing in his stern glare.

"We'll find a way to free him, Addy, don't you worry...But first we gotta figure out what the heck's going...Wait! That inky black...it looks familiar..."

That's when it dawns on him:

"Black Mist! It's gotta be that Number!"

Tiffany and I exclaim,

"Number 96?!"

Astral would confirm it through his struggles:

"H-He, is correct! Number 96: It is trying to take control of me!"

Jamal mutters harshly,

"I knew there was something off about that Number," while I was wondering,

"But what does it want with Astral?"

 _Could it, have something to do with what the Number showed him?_

I jerked out of my thoughts to the sound of a dark chuckle, and would watch as Astral's arms were forced upward by the ooze to the tune of another male voice that sort-a mimicked his...but with a much more sinister undertone.

 **"Oh you'll find out my desires soon enough, human..."**

I felt Tiffany's hands grip my arm tighter in her own fears while Jamal moved closer to me with a hand on my shoulder, the two of us glaring ahead to where we heard the voice.

"You hear that?"

"Yeah...That was definitely not Astral."

 **"What you should be more pressed with is now that the Key is no longer around your neck, I am no longer sealed in my card...which means I am free to take control of your _dear friend, Astral._ "**

 _Astral!_

The darkening of his colour scheme became complete, and my friend from beyond this world lets out a pained cry as stronger tendrils shot from his body, straight towards us!

"...Bail out!"

I shoved my friends to the sides to get them out of the line of fire, while I myself wasn't so lucky, getting snared by my left wrist, right elbow, both my lower legs and my waist, before getting hoisted into the air!

"Gah! Grh, let, me, go!"

I hear my friends cry out in alarm,

"Addy!" "Let her down!"

Tried though I did, I couldn't break free from the strong hold of these tendrils, which by the way, felt all kinds of cold on my skin.

"Mph-rrrgh, if you don't put me down right now, you're gonna wish you never thought of yourself into being!"

Pivoting my head down to get a visual for the response, the Number (who basically looked like Astral's shadow come to life, right down to the coal black eye replacing the white and his, eyebrow markings red and longer towards the forehead with a bit of crook) sends a dark grin my way and replies,

 **"Ooo, scary..."**

...That's when I heard the sound of Astral's voice echo to my ears, still fighting like mad for control of himself.

 _"A-Athena, listen carefully: You must give your Utopia to Jamal!"_

"Utopia?!"

 _"Yes! H-Hurry!"_

Trusting his judgement, I tugged hard against the hold of these pitch black restraints long enough to slip my XYZ Monster out of my deck, before slinging it forward to my other guy friend.

"J-Jamal, heads up!"

He catches the card with fast reflexes, and widens his eyes considerably when he saw which one it was.

"Gah! U-Utopia?! Addy...!"

The last thing I heard from my other guy friend, was the sound of his voice crying out in alarm in a way like he was tumbling downward somewhere...until I couldn't hear him anymore.

 _...Astral?...Astral!_

"Astraaaaal!"

All I got was the complete opposite of the response that I had prayed for, in the sound of this Number, Black Mist, chuckling before saying,

 **"Now onto step two. Acquiring Number 39: Utopia!"**

 _That, bastard...!_

Shooting him a seething glare, I struggled harder against these tendrils of his and shouted,

"Let me go! Let me go and let Astral go right now!"

Black Mist only tightened his grip on me before replying,

 **"I will be the one making the demands here, not you. And right now, I am demanding that Number Card!"**

He then stretched his arm outward to try and attack Jamal for Utopia...but was stopped by noneother than my pendant, which cloaked a transparent gold shield around my flinching friend and dispelled the shadow-like energies!

 _Oh thank god...he's safe._

Though based on the growl I heard emanate from the Number, the word 'safe' may not be applicable for much longer.

Jamal's POV

 _D-Damn...that was too close..._

"Jamal! Are you okay?...How did you-"

I cut Tiffany off as I gazed down at the pendant in my hand:

"I-I didn't do a thing...but I'm almost positive this Key did something."

 _It protected me...which means..._

I look up ahead, watching my other poor friend squirming in that freak Number's hold, he glaring in a lethal-like manner towards me.

 _And only god knows what happened to Astral..._

 _If I can just get the Key back into Addy's hands, maybe the Number will back off and leave both of them alone._

 _First things first, though: I gotta cut down those binds snaring Addy._

Holding out the object that this creep clearly wanted, I call out bravely,

"Yo, tall, dark and so not friendly! If you wanna get your mitts on Utopia, you gotta beat me in a duel!"

 **"A duel?"**

Athena was obviously gonna protest against me walking into the minefield.

"No, Jamal, don't risk it for my sake! Just bail while you still can!"

But I was all too ready to counter her pleas:

"Not a fuckin' chance, Athena!"

"Uh!"

"It'll snow in Hades before I ever consider leaving a friend behind! I'm gonna do whatever it'll take to free you, and save Astral!"

"Jamal..."

Black Mist would end up chuckling at our little moment:

 **"How touching..."**

He then cancels out those weird restraints on Athena, causing her to fall down onto the ground.

"Oof!"

 **"Very well then, let us duel!"**

I get my equipment all ready to go, right down the duel gazer and activating the AR World...

 **Augmented Reality Vision Link Established.**

...Only problem was, that the Number had somehow forced Athena to ready her gear and deck too.

 _Damn...Does he intend for me to fight Addy?_

His next words would confirm my guess:

 **"Oh and by the way, Athena will be dueling for me. Not her mind, but her body, so be careful~."**

His chuckle at the end only made my blood boil more in anger, but I fought to stay focused on the battle beginning.

 _Easy does it, Jamal. Should've expected this anyway since Numbers don't exactly come built with their own decks..._

"I'm taking the first move! Look out, 'cause it's my Draw! First, I summon Aye-Iron to the field!"

My Level Four machine-type monster comes flipping onto the field with 1600 Attack Points, banging on his little cymbals.

 _"Aye, Aye, Ayyyye!"_

"Next, I'll add onto Aye-Iron's power with the Equip Spell, Spring Punch!"

A spring-loaded punching glove appears on the top of his head...

"Then I activate Aye-Iron's special ability, which gives him a poundin' 400 boost to his Attack Points, making the total 2000! It also activates Spring Punch's effect: When my monster gains a boost to their Attack Points, you automatically take half as damage! In this case, 1000 points of damage is heading your way!"

 _"Aye, Aye...Ayyyye!"_

The boxing glove shoots forward, and knocks right into Athena's stomach to send her flying to the ground while her-no, Black Mist's Life Points drop to 3000...

"Athena!"

She gets back to feet with ease (no surprise; since she's the flesh-version of a brick wall), and sends a grim smile to my direction after sending a reassuring look to Tiffany.

"Good opener, Jamal. Keep it up, don't give an inch, and kick his ass!"

I send her a nod, before moving onto my last play for this turn.

"Next I activate the Spell, Gearspring Catapult, and with that, my turn ends here!"

 _Stay strong for me, Athena. I'm gonna save you, then we'll both save Astral!_

A scoff of amusement passes from that Number creep's lips before he forces my friend to begin his opener.

 **"It is my turn. Now Draw!"**

She does so without hesitation, like a marionette on strings...

 **"First up, I am summoning Acrono. I can do so by sending one card in my hand to the Graveyard."**

I watch as the Level One monster with 200 Attack Points rises to the field, wondering suspiciously,

 _Why's he bringing out such a weak monster? What's this creep up to?_

 **"And you see, since the card I sent to the Grave is Pinecono, it now sprouts right up, back onto the field!"**

 _Hang on...Two Level Ones..._

 **"Next I summon, Darklon! And now you are in a very hairy situation: You see, when Darklon is summoned, all my monsters increase their Level by one."**

 _Oh crap! And those monsters also have their attributes switched to Dark!_

 _...He's gonna bring out-_

 **"But I am not done yet. I will then Overlay these three Level Twos, in order to build the Overlay Network, and XYZ Summon! A copy of myself, Number 96: Black Mist!"**

This time, unlike the blob we saw during that first duel against the Number, we'd all be seeing a real monster worthy of being among the Ranks, looking like a cross between something that sprang out of Hell, and a dangerous beast from another planet!

"Geez, he already summoned a Number?!"

Tiffany was a bit more pressed on its appearance:

"But, how can that be the same Black Mist we saw Addy fight a few days ago?"

Athena already had her answer, and growled before exclaiming towards her captor,

"You, sonova-That duel was a set-up! You were playing feint with your true strength so you could get captured by Astral on purpose, just to trap him in return! Admit it!"

I could've sworn I saw the Number's eyes widen slightly in surprise from her deduction, before he curves his lips into a smirking sneer and hovers way too close to her side for my liking to practically hiss in her ear,

 **"My, aren't we a clever little thing? Yes, you're correct: What you see now is Black Mist's true appearance."**

If I wasn't so fixated on the duel, I would've rushed over there and jack-slapped him for getting into my friend's personal space. Luckily (and unluckily depending on one's priorities), he does back up a little to turn his own focus on commanding the Number to attack.

 **"And now, Number 96, attack Aye-Iron!"**

For him to actually initiate a charge with such low power...I couldn't help but call over,

"Hold on! Are you that crazy or just that stupid? You are aware you're attacking me with only 100 points, right?"

 **"Not exactly. I activate Black Mist's special ability, Shadow Gain!"**

 _Damn it, knew there had to be a catch..._

 **"By using one of its Overlay Units, Black Mist can steal half of its opponent's Attack Points in order to power itself up!"**

Next thing I knew, the XYZ blasted out a wave of shadowy smog, causing me to shield my face, before looking up to see that Aye-Iron now had 1000 Attack Points, and the beast before us had 1100!

"...Aw shi-That means Black Mist is gonna always have the jump on my monsters!"

 **"You catch on quickly! Now, let him have it: Whiplash Whirlwind!"**

Though the attack was devastating enough on my Aye-Iron that I'd lose him to the Graveyard, it thankfully only took a small chunk out of my Life Points, settling at 3900...

 **"Next I place two cards face-down and end my turn."**

Taking in a breath and wiping my forehead of sweat, I mutter to myself,

"Well that sucked, but least I know what I'm up against...(Smirk) Heh, and ya know what? I've seen monsters in horror flicks scarier than that freakshow!"

I swipe out my next card:

"And as long as I've got Gearspring Catapult backin' me, I know I can gain up on that XYZ! Now, every time my turn rolls around, I crank up a new counter for my catapult."

"Counter?"

I send a nod to my other confused friend watching on the sidelines:

"That's right: If I'm gonna build myself an arsenal of power, I gotta increase my counters when I can."

Black Mist obviously didn't find this development real frightening:

 **"Oh please. This duel will not last long enough for that strategy to work out."**

"Cocky, huh? That's gonna bite ya back later...Anyway, next I summon Tin Goldfish!"

My Level Four monster with 800 Attack Points materializes to the field...

"But that's just the start! Next I activate the Spell, Iron Call! And it'll be a call for all hands on deck, 'cause thanks to this spell, if I have a Level Four machine-type monster on my field, I can summon another Level Four or below from my Graveyard!"

The siren rings its blare, signalling the jump back for the monster of my choice to come back in Defense Mode.

"Time for round two, Aye-Iron!...Next, I activate my other spell, Iron Draw!"

An iron glove appears on my free hand...

"See, when I've got at least two machine-types on my side, this card allows me to draw out two more cards!"

 _Okay, now's the time to bring out the big guns, specifically, the one Addy gave to me before she lost bodily control..._

 _This is for you, girl._

"Now, I'm Overlayin' Level Four Tin Goldfish and Aye-Iron to create the Overlay Network! Prepare yourself, 'cause here comes Number 39: Utopia!"

As soon as the Number who was on my side settled in front of me, I looked over to see Athena gazing at Utopia with conflict in her irises, which I honestly couldn't blame her for, I mean come on. How would you feel if your only way of being rescued from danger was to be taken down by one of your own allies?

...Black Mist, meanwhile, was looking at the other Number like a lion would a gazelle.

 **"I have been waiting for you, Number 39..."**

 _Tch, yet another reason to file him under C for 'Creep'..._

 _Uh!_

That's when I felt this, wave of energy, passing through my veins!

"A-Addy! What's happening?!"

"It's okay! Just breathe, Jamal! Utopia's just getting a read of you...I think."

 _U-topia...?_

...The pulse of power passed quicker than it came, leaving me to gaze up at the Number working with me in awe.

 _Utopia...Do you, trust me, then? Trust my heart?  
_

 _...I'll have to wonder later. Gotta stay focused on saving Addy and Astral!_

"Okay...here we go! Next, I activate Gearspring Catapult's effect: By using one Gearspring Counter, I can increase Utopia's strength by 500 for this turn!"

In this case, Utopia would be packing 3000 Attack Points instead of 2500, more than enough to take Black Mist's true form down.

"Nice! Black Mist is going down!"

"You better believe it, Tiff! Go Utopia: Cut through that mist!"

...But any excitement I held in that moment would be blasted out of the sky thanks to that creep's next sentence.

 **"Oh yes, please, by all means, go right on ahead and attack...so I can activate Black Mist's ability, Shadow Gain!"**

 _What?!_

"Aw come on, seriously?! You can activate that ability on my turn?!"

My main ally's power goes down by half of its Attack Points to 1500, while Black Mist's power rose to 2600! Tiffany exclaims with a glare,

"Shoot! Now Black Mist is stronger than Utopia by 1100!"

The Number replies cruelly,

 **"Indeed he is, which spells bad news for you, I'm afraid!"**

Athena cries out,

"Look out, Jamal!"

 **"Go, Whiplash Whirlwind!"**

 _Good thing I've watched Addy duel with Utopia enough times to know how to counter...!_

"I activate Utopia's ability, Lightwing Shield! Not only do I stop him from attacking, but your attack is made useless too!"

Those tendrils are cut off my the golden shield, and both Athena and I let out sighs of relief...

 **"I would not become too relieved yet. I now play the Trap, Counterforce! Since you stopped your Utopia's attack, you take damage equal to the difference in our monster's Attack Points!"**

"Oh crap!"

The card sends out a powerful sound wave that made the ground uproot before blowing me off of my feet with a yell while my Life Points dropped down to 2800!

"Jamal, no!"

I shove myself upward so I was sitting up, grimacing from the scrapes and bruising I had gotten from the fall, looking over at Athena who was eyeing me in concern.

 _I'm alright, Addy...Don't you worry._

 **"Perhaps now you see..."**

"Hm?!"

I darted my eyes to meet Black Mist's as he mocks,

 **"For every move you make, I can make one better."**

"W-Why you...!"

 _Damn him and his arrogance...but this isn't really going in my favour._

 _Each turn, that damn digit is getting stronger...There's gotta be some way to put a stop to it._

 _But how?_

No POV

Athena could see that her friend was becoming frustrated by the lack of an opening, so she calls over encouragingly,

"Don't listen to him, Jamal! Stay tough and the answer will come to you!"

 _"...Athena...Athena!"_

 _Huh?!_

The girl tenses up upon hearing a familiar echo within her mind...before asking mentally just above a whisper,

 _...Astral? Is, that you?_

 _"Yes...Athena. Listen, carefully. I have, a plan."_

Though concerned by how exhausted the blue being sounded, she nonetheless gives him a mental nod to let him know she had her listening ears on.

 _...Alright. Don't spare the details, and stay strong, wherever you are._

As Athena silently listened to every word of the new strategy her possessed friend had to offer, Jamal continued his turn with determination still burning in his aqua irises.

"This isn't over yet, you hear me?! I activate the Spell, Automatic Gearspring Machine! And when I say auto, I mean it 'cause the second it hits the field, it already has two Gearspring Counters. After that, it gains one more each next turn comin'. Also, if I choose to send this card to the Graveyard, I can move the counters to a different card."

 **"And just what are you planning with all those counters?"**

Jamal sends a sneaky grin in his opponent's direction:

"Heh, if I told you that, it wouldn't be a surprise, now would it? Anyway, I place one card face-down and end my turn, which means Gearspring's effect wears off, and Utopia loses 500 Attack Points."

It was just as said XYZ monster's attack power dropped to 1000...that Athena suddenly grimaced and cried out in a struggle with her hand over her chest!

"Aaaagh! Rrrr-grrrhhh!"

"Addy!" "Addy, what's wrong?!"

She doesn't make a verbal reply other than writhing on her feet a little more...before dropping to her hands and knees in a deadman's limp. Her friends gasp with worry skyrocketing...before Black Mist lets out another closed-mouth chuckle as the girl slowly rose to her feet once more, her plaited black hair with copper-red tips curtaining her face.

 **"Do not fret about Athena. She is just getting into her role as my pawn. And now it is, my Draw. First, Black Mist will attack Utopia...but not before gaining some power, from the shadows!"**

The XYZ blows out another wave of black smog from its torso opening to wash over their opponent, the former's Attack Points rising to 3100 while the latter's dropped to 500! Jamal prepares himself for the next part of the attack:

"I play Utopia's special ability! Go, Lightwing Shield!"

 **"Nothing can protect him now! Not once I play, Overlay Banish: It negates your monster's special ability! But you know what is not negated? Whiplash Whirlwind!"**

The tendrils shoot out from the Rank Two monster to lash against the Rank Four, who's blown apart in a cluster of gold pixels, leaving poor Jamal to go flying with a backflip to the ground hard as his Life Points plunge to 200!

Tiffany cries out,

"Come on, Jamal, get up!"

 **"Yes, please do, so you can watch as I now destroy your Gearspring Catapult!"**

That caused him to jolt to his feet with a glare of disbelief:

"You're kidding!"

 **"Did you really think that I was going to let you keep your Spell Card? It is obvious that you plan to use it to power up the next monster you summon."**

The boy with the ski-capped dreadlocks grinds his teeth in anger, causing Black Mist's smirk to grow...until someone else dismisses the latter's guess of strategy.

"You couldn't be anymore wrong."

 **"Hm?"**

The Number forms a questioning frown and turns his mismatched eyes to Athena's form, who mutters in a monotone,

"Jamal's real plan is to take you out in a single, devastating blow."

 **"A single blow?"**

"Yes, all thanks to his face-down card, Gearspring Exploder."

Jamal sputters Athena's name in shock while the other girl standing off to the side of the dueling field exclaims,

"Addy, no, don't give away his moves!"

Black Mist forms a small grin and urges,

 **"No, do. I find this all quite enlightening."**

"Here's how Gearspring Exploder works: When Jamal's turn rolls around again and he gets more of his counters, he'll be able to deal 800 points of damage for every counter in his arsenal."

 **"800 points?"**

"Right, which means next turn, the number of counters he'll have will be four, altogether with his catapult and machine. We're talkin' 3200 points coming our way...If that card's allowed to activate, we're finished."

Black Mist's lips curve into a snarl directed at Jamal as he mutters to the zombified Athena,

 **"Thanks for the info."**

The boy in turn flinches back from the stare, muttering his friend's name under his breath with stunned aqua irises...

 **"In that case, I will just destroy that face-down card! I am now activating the Spell, XYZ Cyclone from my hand! With this card, if an XYZ monster was destroyed, one Trap Card is destroyed as well!"**

One hurricane later, and Jamal's face-down would be eliminated from play, much to his frustration.

 _Damn. There goes Gearspring Exploder..._

 **"And with that, I will end my turn."**

Leaning his head close to the girl's ear, Black Mist adds,

 **"Thank you, Athena. Always nice to get the inside scoop."**

Meanwhile, the boy with chocolate-olive skin found himself staring down at the Key in his free hand, thinking to himself in betrayal,

 _I can't believe this...Athena...she sold me out..._

 **"Your friend Athena has shown me how to beat you. Her loyalty to me has sealed your doom! Give up now, and I will show you mercy..."**

...Jamal's fist clenched tight around the golden pendant, and he shook his head away of the doubt creeping in.

 _No...No, I won't give in! Addy's never given up in the past, so neither will I!_

"...Wait."

He then looks slowly back and forth between his Gearspring Catapult and Machine, with more clarity in his eyes.

 _And maybe...maybe she still hasn't!_

 _...That's it!_

Looking ahead at the girl he was fighting for...he spots her head dipping upward slightly so one of her red irises was visible, before winking secretively. Jamal silently gasps, before forming a little grin for both of them.

 _Addy, you sly fox...I gotcha; let's school this fool!_

"It's my move, my Draw! (Looks at card) Ye-heah, that's what I'm talkin' about! Okay, first thing, I add another counter to both my catapult and machine!"

Black Mist scoffs in amusement at the boy's unwillingness to surrender.

 **"It is pointless to keep fighting."**

"I wouldn't be so sure about that, creep! Next I remove all three of my counters from Automatic Gearspring Machine, to summon Gearspring Spirit!"

The monster that would grace the field next was Level Eight with 100 Attack Points, and held the appearance of a wind-up mannequin wearing a lavender robe, emitting a large sound wave from its thin body...

"When Gearspring Spirit on the field, I have the ability to change one of your monster's Attack Points to zero until the end of my turn!"

 **"It what?!"**

The Number 96 currently fighting in place of Black Mist would be the target, losing all of the power it gained from its used up Overlay Units.

"With that done, I play the Spell Monster Reborn to bring Utopia back to fight again!"

Said Number returns to Jamal's side of the fiend once again from the Graveyard, causing Tiffany to cheer,

"Alright, Jamal!"

 **"Wait! What is going on here?!"**

The confused Black Mist would receive his unwanted surprise, in the form of a sniggering Athena, who darts her head up to reveal she was okay!

"Well my friend, looks like that old saying is true."

Jamal grins and replies,

"Yep," before both exclaim cheekily while looking at the shocked Number,

"There's a sucker born every minute!"

 **"Hold on! You are my servant!"**

Jamal reminds Black Mist with a mocking smile,

"Uh yeah, her body maybe, but not her mind, or do you not remember saying that before the duel started?"

The pitch black being growls...

"See, my catapult's the real trump card, not my exploder. If you'd have destroyed the former, I'd be in deep trouble...which is why Addy played possum and faked being your mindless slave, so you'd be directed to the other card instead!"

 **"I do not believe it!"**

Athena turns and points at the angrily-twitching Number while retorting with a smug smirk,

"Believe it, wise-guy. The only people I 'serve' are my friends and family!"

She then spins around to give the smile and nod to her friend on the other side of the field, which he'd return before finishing off the duel.

"I now activate Gearspring Catapult's effect! By removing one Gearspring Counter, Utopia gains 500 Attack Points for a total of 3000!"

 **"Gggh! I do not like this!"**

"That so? Then you're gonna reeeeally _loathe_ what's comin' up! Do it, Jamal!"

"You got it, Addy! I'm markin' a page in Dueling History for both of us!"

Utopia readies his twin swords, as he's launched into the air by Gearspring Catapult...

 **"This, cannot be!"**

"Oh it be. Let this be a lesson to never, mess with the like of us again! Utopia, attack Black Mist with Rising Sun Slash!"

Two slashes later, and the shadow beast monster would explode in a cloud of black smog, leaving Athena to duck and cover from the main force of after impact, while the real enemy was hit full-blast as his Life Points plummeted to zero!

 **"Aaaaaaah! No way...I, I LOST! IMPOSSIBLE!"**

"Addy, quick, catch!"

Jamal then tosses the golden pendant for Athena's waiting hand, who grips it tight upon feeling its metal on her skin.

"Nice toss!"

(Gleam...)

"Huh? Whoa!"

The Key then emits a strong, golden glow...which is felt by the trapped Astral, who breaks free from the dark space he was encased in by Number 96, before materializing back into the real world! A smile of huge relief spreads onto the Athena's face upon seeing her celestial friend's face.

"Astral...!"

 _He's alright..._

 **"Grrrh, damn, you, human...!"**

"Hm? Auh!"

She then flinches back in a defensive stance, when she turns to see Black Mist rise off the ground while sending a seething glare in her direction, before the latter makes the motion to lunge right at her!

"...No you don't!"

Thankfully, he didn't get far, before Astral activates his retracting power over the Number, causing them to freeze before their person is sucked back into the blue being along with the rest of the Number's defeated battle form...!

...There's a short, pregnant pause in the air, before Astral turns to float down to Athena's side to check on her.

"Are you alright, Athena?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine...Nice job with the fast seal."

"Addy!"

Jamal and Tiffany came rushing over to their proximity next, both occupying expressions mixed with worry and relief.

"You okay?" "How's Astral?"

"We're both okay...all thanks to you, Jamal."

He smiles modestly and says with a dismissive wave,

"Nah, it was a team effort, least on that last move..."

He then hands her back Utopia while adding,

"You really saved my arse by setting me up for a wicked combo, Addy."

"Uh-heh, well, actually..."

Seeing the awkwardness traced in her half-smile, Jamal smirks knowingly when he realizes,

"Ooooh, I see: That was Astral's plan, eh?"

"...Maybe..."

"Heh, should've known. It seemed a little too advanced for you."

That joking comment would not sit well with Athena, who purses her lips into a scowl.

"Oi! What's that suppose to mean? I'm coming along in my strategies, aren't I?"

"Tch-yeah, and you'll be among the greats in like, a decade from now!"

"What?! Why I outta...!"

Tiffany just shook her head with an exasperated smile at her bickering friends.

 _Those two, I swear..._

Meanwhile, Astral watched them argue with their expressions going back and forth between scowling and playful smirk-glares with his own smile of amusement.

"Only friends so close, fight so much..."

He then frowns as he looks down at the resealed Number, feeling a foreboding emanating in his being as he gazed at its fully revealed image.

 _If only all fighting could be so harmless..._

 _Number 96. Are there more memories like you?_


	21. The Tin-Girl's New Heart

A new night darkens the blacktop streets of Heartland City, and we find ourselves zooming within the inner secured vaults of a popular jewellery store, as a robot used its mechanical hands to extend towards a podium keyboard between a laser grid to do battle against an AI CPU in a Duel Monster fight...

A few minutes later, the robot would succeed in beating the AI.

 **Duel Clearance Achieved. All Security Systems Disabled.**

The lasers turn off just as the room lights up, and the glass displays of several pieces of very fine jewellery - ranging from decked-out necklaces, rings, earrings, bracelets and even a small-medium treasure chest - automatically open. Detracting its arms, the robot, exposed as noneother than a LitterBot, then says,

"Commence Operation: Clean House."

It leads a couple other fellow bots to start pilfering every last bit of polished rock and mineral, before speeding back out of the store to roll down the stairs to where a shady-looking man would be waiting for them, the back of his van open and ready for transport.

"Heheheh, right on time."

He pushes a remote button to send the LitterBots a signal to retract their bodies back to their normal states, allowing them to enter the van with no issues.

"The house has been successfully cleaned."

Once he was sure that all his robotic minions were on board, he puts the pedal to the metal.

"Let's roll!"

(Screeech-Vrrrooooooommmmm...)

...There was just one minor problem he didn't account for: One robot wasn't fast enough to roll up the van's ramp, and would wind up chasing after the vehicle while trying to get their boss's attention.

"You forgot me! You forgot me!"

After unsuccessfully trying to jump into the opened back doors, the LitterBot picks up their speed to call through the driver's window outside.

"Hello!...Hello!...Do not leave me behind!"

If the situation wasn't bad enough, a small family of ducks was just entering the side of the road to cross, only to get caught frozen with terror by the shine of the headlights fast-approaching them!

"Uh oh!"

The LitterBot decides to forgo their plans in joining their companions and save the ducks, their sudden appearance in front of the van causing the man to swerve while slamming the breaks.

"Whoa!"

(Screeeeeeec-CRASH)

Both vehicle and the mechanized trash collector collide, the impact sending the latter flying over the street barrier and into the river below!

(Splash...)

"Blast it! Grh!"

The man would have little time to curse at the incident, before his ears pick up on the sound of sirens from the local PD, forcing him to speed off else risk an easy capture by the authorities...

...But as it turned out, the LitterBot wasn't completely down and out, resurfacing from the watery deep to float downstream with the ducklings peeking their heads out of its mouth.

Time Skip

 _"Now accepting applicants for the World Duel Carnival! Do you~ have what it takes?"_

That would be the popular advertisement announced overhead on a blimp jumbo-tron come Monday afternoon, which would go unnoticed by Athena, Tiffany and Jamal as they walked down in a street/park complex after another day of learning, which for the former, gave her a new reason to complain about their educational system.

"Damn, why'd there have to be a pop quiz in Science today of all days? I actually would've preferred Math..."

Jamal chokes down a snort and quirks with a skeptical brow raised and his lips turned upward in a crooked smile,

"Psh, really? You, Athena Fujina, would willingly choose a Math test?"

The girl with red irises pivots her head around to shoot a mild glare at the amused boy and replies,

"Yes! Math equations, I can study for. Naming the different parts of a human cell or the stages of mitosis? Nadda chance in hell."

Tiffany holds a hand to her mouth to cover up a few giggles as she suggests slyly,

"Well maybe it would help if you studied Science as much as you do dueling strategies..."

As they all pause their walk for a moment near the open knoll to the river, Athena rolls her eyes and retorts,

"Tch, I would if it were as interesting..."

"(Peep, peep, peep)"

"Hm?"

The three teens then look down to the sound of a baby bird's cries, finding themselves staring at a little yellow duckling who was darting around their feet in a frantic manner.

"Aw, poor little guy..."

Tiffany kneels down to gently bring the tiny duck into her palms, worry dancing in her cornflower blue irises.

"They must've been separated from their mom."

Athena hms, staring at the duckling for a moment with a mix of sympathy and thought, before turning her head in the direction it was peeping towards, only to spot two more chicks standing atop the LitterBot from the night before, now washed onto the grassy shore!

"Huh? A LitterBot?"

 _...Wonder how it got waterlogged?_

Curious, she and her friends decide to move down the knoll to check the situation out.

"...Ey, you functioning? Hellooo..."

Wracking his knuckles on the metal head of the robot, Jamal sighs and mutters,

"Nope, nothin'. Maybe its circuits got fried by the water..."

Attention is drawn back to the ducklings (including the one who hopped off of Tiffany's hand to join their siblings) as they cried out a bit louder while tapping their beaks on the mouth of the LitterBot.

"What do you think they're trying to tell us?"

Athena shrugs at the other girl in an 'I dunno' fashion...before flinching back from the sight of a larger beak poking its way out of the opening of the robot's mouth!

"Gah, Jesus! What the heck was-?!"

Jamal suggests warily,

"Maybe try opening it to find out...?"

Nodding, the girl with long black hair naturally shaded by a rusty copper red at the tips, today tied back in a low ponytail, places her hands on both ends of the metal mouth, before struggling to shove the lower lip downward...

"(Quack)"

"Yipe!" "Holy-!"

She and the young male of the three would then nearly jump out of their skins when an adult duck comes swooping out of the trash containment!

...Once the initial shock wore off, all three academy students would burst into laughter at how silly they felt getting worked up over ducks of all possible things.

"Hehaha, guess that explains where mom went to!"

"God, I feel so ridiculous...!"

"You two should've seen your faces; priceless!"

They giggle and chuckle a little more...until the girl with short, bobbed black hair brings attention on the other half to this new mystery.

"...But moving on: These ducks don't really explain what happened to the LitterBot, do they?"

Athena's amused smile is replaced with her own curious frown:

"That's true."

She moves to sit on her knees to peer over the down robot with a more detail-oriented eye.

"I see some scratches and a few reasonable dents...Must've been hit pretty hard by something, maybe even while protecting those ducks..."

"Sounds possible...Think it could be fixed?"

"Well, this is usually more my bro's department...but I might be able to hot-wire it back to life."

A few minutes later, we would find Athena tinkering with the main process unit connected to the wiring of the LitterBot's insides.

"Hm, let's see...Maybe if we cross that with the ground tip here..."

Just as Astral materializes outside of the girl's Key pendant, Jamal asks her with uncertainty towards her skills,

"Um, you sure you know what you're doing, Addy?"

"Kind-of. I've watched Terry messin' around with enough tech stuff that I've picked up a few basic tips...(Nervous smile) Well, that, and I may or may not have learned how to take down some of the simpler-designed security locks during a few nights back in my 'Dark Days'."

Tiffany glares slightly at Athena in a scolding manner:

"Please tell me you didn't get yourself involved in anything to do with robberies."

"Of course not!...Just a couple break-ins to explore abandoned and semi-occupied buildings."

That answer would bring about a twin sweatdrop and groan from the red-eyed girl's classmates...Astral would then voice his own insight to the current problem needing a solution.

"Athena, try connecting that red cord."

"Oh! Astral...Hm, red cord?...Ah-ha, here it is!"

Athena would then be holding up a large red wire that had been snapped at the middle.

"Dunno how I missed that...Hm, anybody got a bobby pin on 'em?"

Jamal makes an incredulous expression:

"Dude, do I look like someone who uses hair pins?"

Tiffany meanwhile, forms a smile of realization before removing her daisy hair clip from her left fringe to present to the other young lady.

"I've got something better. Try using my clip."

"Thanks, Tiff."

After fastening one end of the severed wire to the hair clip, Athena would clap the opposite end on...causing an electrical current to flow once more, as evident by the glow of the white flower with the yellow center.

"Ah..."

The teens would then turn to the sound of gears and buttons clicking, coming from the main robot unit as it suddenly rose to its wheeled feet by pushing itself up with its mechanical arms, sucking back the main processing core into its metallic shell!

"Rebooting...Rebooting..."

Jamal notes with an awed expression,

"Looks like it worked...Uh! Whoa, watch it!"

He and Tiffany would then duck back from the robot as it lunged its arms towards the teens, snatching up the unsuspecting Athena!

"Gaaah!"

"Trash Identified. Trash Identified. Trash Identi-"

"For gods sake, what part of me looks like a garbage heap?! Tiff, Jamal, do something!"

Shaking off their shock, the girl's two tangible friends began an all-out game of Tug-o'-War with the LitterBot, being careful not to pull too hard and risk her getting injured, leaving the intangible Astral to watch helplessly with somewhat widened eyes darting slowly back and forth between both opposing parties.

 _Oh dear..._

Eventually, Athena would be set free from the clutches of the LitterBot, before she and her friends decide to head back to her house while discreetly ditching the robot by the river...

What they would discover, however, is that they had gained a 'stalker' of sorts.

"...You guys hear something?"

Pausing by the paper-panel slide doors that made up the entrance of the front porch, the teens look towards the corner of the hedge leading to the stairs exiting the property...only to find the LitterBot they helped reboot peeking from behind the leaves.

"Oh come on, really?!"

Tiffany and Jamal began laughing loudly at the new development, while Athena was more than annoyed, flopping her behind onto the wood panels of the porch while groaning into her hands,

"I get attacked by a LitterBot, then it follows me home like a lost puppy...God, wha'd I do to deserve this?!"

The LitterBot, oddly enough, makes a similar gesture with their own hands and says,

"God, what did I do?"

That just made Tiffany giggle even more before commenting cheekily,

"I think someone likes you, Addy~...Why don't you take it in and look after it?"

Rising to her feet, the girl with red irises replies bitterly with a glare,

"Psh, yeah right, me, babysit a robot? I can barely handle those 'triplet monsters' Missus Davis from up the block swings me into watching on occasion!"

Astral cocks his head to the side in confusion:

"Triplet, monsters?"

"Haaah, not real monsters, Astral; it's just a nickname I have for those crazy five year old boys...Anyway, I've got other things I could be doing which don't involve a tag-along bot, like Dueling for example?"

That one word caught the LitterBot's attention:

"Duel!"

"Hm?"

"Duel, duel, duel, duel, duel!"

The robot then opens a small compartment on its front to shoot out a light pink-shaded duel disk to attach to its left arm! To say that the observers were surprised would be an understatement:

"Whoa!" "What the-?!"

"Since when do LitterBots duel?!...Wait, no reason to get worked up: Not like they have a deck."

Oh, would Athena quickly be proven wrong:

"Deeeeck!"

The LitterBot opens its mouth to spew out their cards before they float down to fasten into the draw holder!

"Duel!"

...A couple minutes later, Athena would find herself engaged in a Duel Monsters match with the robot, but wasn't sitting in the winner's circle, as evident by her thrown-back body sliding in the dirt while her Life Points drop down to 1900. She pushes herself up so she was leaning on her palms, looking at the Level Four and Three monsters with 800 Attack Points each with a panted frown.

"...Huh. This bucket of bolts ain't half-bad."

"I now activate the Spell Card, Starlight, Starbright. With this card, when there are monsters on the field, with either the same Attack Points, or the same Defense Points, I can take one of their Levels, and change all the other monster's Levels to that same Level. As a result, I will now change Junk Robot Teapot Kangaroo's Level to that of Junk Robot Camel-Cycle's Four."

Rising up on the soles of her shoes again, the girl mutters,

"(Wince) Hoh boy, I think I know what's comin' next..."

"Next, I overlay Level Four Teapot Kangaroo and Camel-Cycle."

The two monsters shift into twin shots of muted orange light to go streaming into the red vortex opening on the field...

"And with the Overlay Network created, I will now XYZ Summon, (head spins) Wind-Up Zenmaister!"

Athena backs a few steps from the upturned rock and dirt, making way for a large, technicoloured robotic knight, Rank Four and with 1900 Attack Points!

"Zenmaister, attack Athena directly!"

Pulling back a spring-jointed arm, the XYZ monster throws a hard punch against the teenage girl, who lets out a winded 'oof' before flying backwards with a roll to the ground, losing the duel to the LitterBot...Tiffany stood up from her seat on the porch and began praising the winner:

"Wow, that was great, LitterBot!"

"Athena, reckless. Athena, reckless."

Darting back onto her feet, said subject of classification growls and calls,

"What'd you say, you tin-twit?!"

Astral tries to cool the girl's temper, while at the same time holds back his own smile of amusement.

"Relax. This LitterBot is not trying to insult you: It is simply stating a fact."

That would earn him a side-glare and a reply of,

"Zip it!"

Meanwhile, Tiffany continued to speak sweetly to the robot:

"You're a pretty good duelist, LitterBot."

The robot does not reply...instead reaching its mechanical arms to the baby pink silk ribbon that the bobbed hair girl was wearing in a headband fashion today, and untying it to hold themselves.

"Huh?! W-What...?"

A light blush of surprise dusts the girl's cheeks, while the robot reties the ribbon in a bow over the left green knob on its head!

"Pretty. Pretty. Pink Ribbon makes LitterBot look pretty."

"Oh wow..."

Jamal smiles awkwardly and says,

"Well, I guess we can stop using 'it' and call the robot a 'she'."

"Hm, interesting. That would mean Addy lost to a girl."

Athena smirk-glares and grumbles sarcastically,

"Yeah, like the clearing of genders takes the sting of the loss away..."

"Say, I have a thought: We should decide on an actual name for our new mechanized friend."

Watching the LitterBot playfully reach towards a soft yellow-coloured butterfly, Tiffany hums,

"Let's see...What's the right name for her?"

"I'm partial to 'Pain in the Neck'."

She turns to scold Athena for her attitude:

"Come on, Addy, be nicer."

"Hey, whadda ya expect from me, something lame like...I dunno, LillyBot?"

"LillyBot, LillyBot!"

"Huh?"

The girl with red irises is suddenly fast-approached by the robot in question, she occupying a smile on their face at their new title.

"LillyBot, LillyBot!"

"What, seriously? You like that name?"

To confirm her answer, the robot grabs the girl's hands before spinning her around lightly in a circle, leaving Tiffany to giggle slightly and chime,

"Good one, Addy. I think you found her new name."

"I, love, Athena! Athena, Athena, Athena..."

Sighing out a puff of air, Athena mutters with an exasperated smile,

"Good grief," while LillyBot continued to go on with rapture about her new friend.

"Athena is LillyBot's best friend forever. BFF, friends for life."

"Okay, okay, I get the point, sheesh!"

Time Skip, Athena's POV

Alright, so it's been a few days since my buds and I discovered that washed-up LitterBot, rechristened LillyBot, and we decided (if reluctantly on my part) to give it a new home with our crew. Though I was annoyed at first at allowing a robot to worm its way into my life, I warmed up to her rather quickly after a couple sessions of fun and games. LillyBot knows how to play, that's for sure: She can slam-dunk a basketball like nobody's business, keep up with me and Jamal when we go rolling/running around town in our little races, and provides a substantial challenge for all of us when we wanna practice Dueling...

I'm peering over at the robot now from the inside entrance to the garage, myself dressed for bed in my giant powder blue sleepshirt while she was curled under a blanket on the old couch set against the wall.

"Well, end of another entertaining day...Goodnight, Lil."

I close the door and start making my way up the stairs, musing to myself with a smile of slight disbelief,

"Geez, sure didn't take long for me to get attached. I'm already referring to that robo-girl with a nickname..."

Astral was floating out here with me, and asks as we turn up the stairs to where my room would be,

"Is that a bad thing?"

"Nah, I guess not...It's just it usually takes longer than this for me to really feel obligated to be friendly to a new person, and accept their friendliness in return."

Entering my room, I pad over to my bed and pull back the covers before nestling down all comfortable-like, adding in an afterthought,

"Come to think of it...my dynamic of trust seems to have, shifted some this year, allowing some more people into my little circle of friends..."

I looked up at Astral with a soft expression:

"...including you."

He draws a silent breath of surprise, before smiling a bit and nodding in recognition...

Hours pass after I fell asleep, until the early morn came to blast a few gentle rays of the sun towards my face through my window, waking me up for a new day. I get dressed, ate some breakfast, before grabbing my things and got ready to head out the door...but not before popping my head into the garage to send a quick hello to LillyBot and see if she wanted to hang before I had to send her back to the house.

(Ka-chank)

"Yo, Lil, good morning. You wanna come with me to hang before scho-Huh?"

...But I would discover that my new robot friend was nowhere to be found, the garage door left wide open.

"...LillyBot?...Lillybot!"

 _That's weird...Where could she have gone?_

After double-checking that she wasn't just waiting somewhere outside for me, I combed the garage high and low for any clues that could tell me where the robot currently was...before finding a certain card on the ground near the old couch.

"Hm? (Picks up card) Starlight, Starbright?...Must have dropped it before she left...or, could it be her version of a note?"

"Should we try and search for her in the city streets?"

I turn to Astral and shake my head:

"No, that'd take all day, especially since we don't have a solid lead...Best that I just head out like normal and cross my fingers that she'll turn up on her own."

At that, I tuck the Spell Card into my deck to keep it safe, before heading out for my morning jog while subconsciously keeping my eyes open incase I spot the runaway robot...

The day comes and goes, nothing real noteworthy from school to report, and there was still no signs of LillyBot. Jamal and Tiffany became rather anxious when I told them about her sudden disappearance, until I reassured them that the robot couldn't have taken off to cause any real trouble...Still, we all found ourselves looking thoroughly around the spots where we had been playing with our new friend incase she was hanging out there once school let out, before we all decided to head home for now and wait until some other clue popped up.

I'm now entering my house while looking down at the Starlight, Starbright Card again, a discouraged frown on my face.

 _Dang it...Where the heck'd ya go, you crazy robot?_

"Hey, little sis, that you?"

I look up from my thoughts to the sound of Terry calling for me from the living room couch, before walking over to him with a raised brow.

"What's up?"

"You mind looking at something for me? Your eyes are a bit better than mine when it comes to finding little details."

"Depends on what it is."

"Yoko and her journalist partner Kiki just got their hands on some security footage for this new scoop they're workin' on together. Apparently, there's been a series of robberies from a couple local jewelers, and whoever it is has got some serious dueling skills to get past the duel-lock systems. She sent me some of the screenshots to see if there was something I might find she and Kiki missed, but I can't make jackcrap from this."

 _...My brother is so whipped._

Restraining myself from making that smart comment aloud, I let out a sighed groan before moving to sit down on the couch with my brother so I could see the images on his computer better.

"Alright, lemme see...Hm..."

 _Those don't look like humans, for one: They look like, robots...Maybe someone trained them for thievery._

 _...Wait, that one in the right middle...That looks like...a ribbon tied on their-_

 _Gh!_

My eyes widen a little when I realize,

 _That...That's Lil! It has to be!...But, what the heck is she doing robbing jewellery stores?_

"Well? Anything?"

I jolted from my somewhat panicky thoughts to Terry's urging, before shaking my head and replying,

"Uh, nothing definitive...but it looks like the shapes on the screenshots might be robots."

 _No way am I bringing LillyBot into the conversation, 'specially since I can't be one-hundred percent sure it really is her there, on her own free will, at least._

"Robots? Hmm...that would explain why no one's come up with a profile. The real person behind it all must be acting in the shadows while using robots to do the actual work."

Astral adds in his own thoughts for only my ears to listen in on.

"This would also explain why LillyBot is so good at Dueling: She was programmed to be. Question is, by whom? And I think that is a question we might be able to answer by using simple logic."

Getting to my feet and leaving my brother in his philosopher pose that he forms when in deep thought, I move behind the couch to stand near my friend while muttering quiet enough for just the two of us,

"Right...The thief would need to bolt out of the area fast after the heist for somewhere to hide out from the cops. Somewhere close, but inconspicuous from the public eye..."

I look back to the computer monitors to the one that had a map of the city with a few markers that indicated the couple shops that were robbed so far in this crime wave, and try to zero in on somewhere that intersected all the locales.

 _Hm...The Old City Junkyard. That's the only place closest to all those robberies..._

I pivoted my head to Astral, who nodded as his way of saying that was the most likely place to head to, before I whispered,

"Let's head upstairs and call Tiff and Jamal. They'll wanna lend a hand too."

With that, I began rushing up to my room, ignoring my brother's calls of,

"Uh, thanks for the help?"

Once I sent a message to my two friends and switched clothes so I wasn't wearing my uniform anymore, I would meet up with them at the front gate of the old junkyard just as evening rolls in. I chose a quick outfit of a black t-shirt under my black leather jacket, light blue skinny jeans with my red/black checkered skirt overtop, and my brown steel-toe boots. Tiffany in turn wore a baby pink pencil skirt that went to her knees, a white t-shirt with embroidery work on the sleeves, yellow ankle socks and black sneakers, while Jamal slapped together a neon green tank-top, light grey baggy jeans held up by black suspenders, and his dark orange vans.

"...Let's go."

Shoving open the creaky metal door to the place, we all slip inside and motor over to crouch behind a pile of random scrap parts to wait for the thief to return...

"You're sure that they'll be coming back here?"

I reply in a low-volume voice to Jamal,

"Yeah, this is the place Astral and I spotted on the map that intersected all the places robbed so far, and there was one more jeweler a little out of the way but still close enough to the action that hadn't been robbed of yet."

Tiffany hums,

"No doubt that it'll be pilfered tonight then, considering the robber's signature...Uh! I hear a vehicle coming."

(...Vroooooommmm...)

And lo and behold, a small van comes speeding in through the front gates after they were slid aside...The driver door opens, revealing a short man who looked to be around his late thirties, early forties, with crew-cut brown hair tucked under a dull mahogany baker's cap, pale tan skin, wearing a salmon red shit under a worn green jacket, grey pants and brown shoes. In one of his hands was a suitcase, which more than likely contained evidence of his crimes...

"Tonight's been the best haul yet, heheheh!"

He opens the back of the van, letting free a few LitterBots, including LillyBot!  
Tiffany lets out a startled gasp, which I softly shushed her for so we could listen in on the guy's chatter.

"But since no one's smart enough to figure out my scheme, I'm sure it'll only get better."

Smirking cynically at this thief's confidence, I step out from hiding while countering in a quirk,

"Before it gets worse? I don't think so."

"Gah!"

The guy drops the suitcase, it falling to the ground and spilling out some of its many jewels, before he scrambles to get it all back inside while looking up at me with a nerved expression.

"H-H-Hey, who are you?!"

Tiffany and Jamal come to my sides as I call back,

"Oh, no one important to you, but I am considered LillyBot's BFF."

"Huh? Who's LillyBot?"

The man looks back at the small group of robots he has, before spotting the one my friends and I came for.

"You talkin' about her?"

He stands up and holds an arm out in front of the LitterBots:

"Sorry, but these bots are mine, so get lost!"

I frown and retort back,

"And let you continue to use these LitterBots like slaves? Nadda chance! So you can get outta our way so we can take Lil home."

"Keh, oh-hoh-kay...Get 'em."

LillyBot is left behind, while he quickly takes off with the others in his van...But he wasn't my main concern:

 _He'll get caught by the police soon enough, and those other robots will be returned to their regular duties..._

 _Right now, I need to focus on getting LillyBot back on our side._

"...LillyBot? It's us, Athena, Jamal and Tiffany...Don't you remember the fun we've had these last few days?"

...She doesn't respond, until she suddenly shifts into some kind of battle form I didn't know LitterBots had, and shoots out her arms to try and strike us!

"Yipe!"

We all scramble away in time before we could get hit, and I bark over to the robot while I straightened up,

"What the hell was that for?!" Jamal exclaims after me,

"That's what I was about to shout! Looks like someone forgot the 'Forever' in BFF..."

Tiffany mutters worriedly,

"What'll we do now?"

...I recall the Spell Card left behind in the garage to be picked up by yours truly, before making my next move.

"Now...Now we duel!"

Despite her gears spinning the wrong way thanks to that creep, LillyBot meets my call to challenge.

"Duel Accepted. Target confirmed. Prepare to be eradicated."

Astral floats down so he was on my right before asking,

"And why exactly did you challenge Lilly to a duel?"

I reach into my deck and pull out Starlight, Starbright:

"This is why: Accident or not, this card was left behind for a reason...To be used in this battle to bring their wielder back to her senses."

I look up at LillyBot and add determinedly,

"And even if that plan botches, I'll just keep trying 'til something sticks...I just wanna avoid the most aggressive approach if I can help it."

On that note, I get myself ready for the Duel underway, clicking out my disk and fastening on my gazer as my friends do theirs and Lilly uses a camera atop her head to access the AR World.

 **Augmented Reality Vision Link Established.**

"(Both Duelists) Let's Duel!"

I make the opener:

"Hope you're prepared, Lil, 'cause I'm drawing! First, I summon Gagaga Magician in Attack Mode! Then I place one card face-down, and end my turn!"

My confused robot friend was up next, all business and no play.

"Initiating Protocol 3-Z: Draw! First, I activate Eco-Spell, Reduce Waste. With this card, by banishing two Junk Robots in my deck, I can add Junk Robot Camel-Cycle to my hand. I now summon, Camel-Cycle!"

That Level Four Monster with 800 Attack Points and the appearance of a luggage-packed bike with a vacuum hose neck and sneaker head comes roaring onto the field...

"I then activate Eco-Spell, Recycle! With this card, I can summon the two Junk Monsters that were banished earlier. I now summon, Junk Robot Clean-Naga, and Junk Robot Computer-Kong!"

Level Four with 1200 and 1000 Attack Points each, these robots had the appearances of a hot red, out of control vacuum cleaner, and an ape made from ancient computer monitors and hard drives.

 _Three Level Fours, huh? I think I've got a good idea to what her next move will be..._

"I now overlay these three Level Four Junk Robots, and by way of this overlay, a network has been created, and with it, I will now XYZ Summon, Recycle Rhinobot!"

And the monster that would form from those three, was a Rank Four robotic rhinoceros with 2700 Attack Points!

"Holy-That's one strong robo-animal!"

"Initiating Protocol 33-F: Rhinobot attacks Gagaga Magician!"

Astral calls my name in urgency, and I call back,

"I got it! I now activate my face-down, Half Unbreak! With this Trap, Gagaga's safe, and I only take half the damage of your attack."

The lightning sparking from the monster's horn bounces off the bubble protecting my magician, with it dying down some before reflecting down near my feet, making me flinch back from the impact as my Life Points drop to 3400...

"Keep it up, Addy! You're LillyBot's only hope of recovering her real self!"

I retort back to Tiffany as I brush down my clothes of some upturned dirt that washed on me,

"Well-aware of that, Tiff, but try telling her! Anyway, I Draw!"

I look down to see that the card I got, was noneother than my current monster's faithful companion.

"Nice! Okay, my next monster to grace the field, will be my magician's apprentice, Gagaga Girl!"

She was basically the female version of my male magician, but with a long, spiky bob of blond hair, red eyes and had a pink ribbon going around her black-dominated spellcaster uniform rather than a chain, and held a phone as her wand.

"My next play is the Equip Spell, Wonder Wand. Now my Gagaga Girl has an extra 500 Attack Points backing her 1000."

My Level Three magician gal's power rises to 1500...

"Nice move. Now it is time to take it to the next level."

I nod in agreement with Astral:

"Rightly so. Now I play my main magician's ability: His Level will now be Eight instead of Four until the end of this turn!"

"Uh! Really, Athena? But-"

"Next up is the Spell, Gagaga Thunder!"

A lighting-shaped symbol appears for both my spellcasters to grab onto...

"And the boom will be hittin' your Life Points hard, 'cause this card allows me to deal you damage equal to the difference of my magician's Levels times 300! If you don't have a calculator, I can crunch those numbers for ya: 5 times 300 for a total of 1500!"

A bolt of light purple lightning strikes my robotic friend, forcing her Life Points to drop to 2500...

"I then place one card face-down, and end my turn, which means Gagaga Magician goes back to being Level Four and not Eight."

As soon as everything settled for the pause before the next turn, Astral would not miss his chance in questioning my logic for this battle.

"Athena, I tried to tell you: Gagaga Girl has an ability that would changed LillyBot's monster's Attack Points to zero. If you then had changed Gagaga Magician's Level to match Gagaga Girl's, you could've XYZ Summoned Leviathan Dragon to attack Rhinobot, and you would've won."

"...I know...but that would've been the easier choice."

I turned my head to meet Astral's eyes and add firmly,

"And that would've meant not being able to play Lil's card, which I gotta do no matter what."

 _Because that may be the only real way of jolting her circuits back to normal._

Astral's POV

I could not fully understand why Athena was so firm in wanting to draw and use that particular Spell Card, but if it was that important to her, then I could only hope that she knew what she was doing...

"You're up, Lilly!"

"Initiating Protocol 2-X: Draw! First I summon, Junk Robot Teapot Kangaroo!"

The Level Three metal marsupial with 800 Attack Points rises to the field near LillyBot's XYZ monster...

"I know activate Rhinobot's ability: For every Overlay Unit I use, a different monster on my field other than Rhinobot gains 500 additional Attack Points."

Athena curses as I think to myself,

 _This is not good..._

"I use three Overlay Units, so Teapot Kangaroo gains 1500 Attack Points!"

Now the Level Three machine-type monster had 2300 Attack Points to, 'dish out' as it were, and I hear Jamal exclaim,

"Dang, that Kanga means business!"

"First, I will have Rhinobot attack Gagaga Girl!"

Thankfully, Athena had a card ready to counteract the offensive measure:

"I activate the Trap, Gagaga Guard! Because I have two Gagaga monsters on my field, Gagaga Girl's safe from destruction this turn...'Course, doesn't mean I'm safe from taking the hit."

On that note, she flinches back with an arm shielding her face as the lightning from Rhinobot's horn comes to crash against her, while her Life Points dropped to 2200...LillyBot of course, was not done:

"Protocol 41-A: Teapot Kangaroo attacks Gagaga Magician!"

"No dice on that move, 'cause Gagaga Guard's still going strong to protect!"

"Perhaps...but not you!"

The marsupial lands a heavy punch against the crystal casing that saved the magician from certain doom, but the impact would travel past him to hit Athena full-blast, knocking her off her feet as her Life Points fell even further to 1400! Tiffany cries out the other girl's name with worry, while she in turn struggles to lift herself off the hard ground.

"Grh, dammit..."

"Athena, your Life Points cannot take too much more of this."

"I know, but those points are just gonna hafta deal, until I can get a hold of that card..."

She straightens up, before adding,

"If the luck of the draw's with me and I'm able to play the card Lil left behind, it may trigger her memories and she'll return to her old self again."

 _Uh...I had not considered that. The odds are rather sparse...but not impossible._

"Oooold, s-s-s-eeeelf?"

Athena's lips curved into a small smile as she called over to the confused robot,

"That's right, LillyBot! Think hard: How you're acting now isn't the same 'bot I met a few days ago! You know that, don't you?"

"I-I-I-I-I-I, I-I-I-I-I-I...I activate RhinoBot's ability: When Rhinobot does not have any Overlay Units, my monster with the least amount of Attack Points is destroyed."

 _What? But why would she...unless-!_

"As a result, we both take damage equal to the destroyed monster's original Attack Points!"

At that, both she and Athena are struck with a bolt of blue electricity that sapped them of 800 Life Points each, bringing the totals down to 1700 and 600 respectively...My friend of course, would only smirk through the impact and call over in a retort,

"You can keep trying, but you can't dodge the truth all night, Lil!"

I on the other hand, was more pressed by the probable result of this Duel that may ensue unless something is done fast.

"Athena, when that special ability activates again, both you and Lilly will run out of Life Points."

"You're right...so I either gotta count on the perfect draw, or prep myself for a different kind of rumble."

 _Athena..._

...Suddenly, a different spark of electricity conducted over the robot, and her limbs fell limp...!

"Huh? LillyBot?"

The response following Athena's inquire of concern, would not be a pleasant one.

"Self-Destruct Program Initiated! Countdown set at One Minute! Self-Destruct Program Initiated! Self-Destruct Program Initiated!"

The four of us simultaneously took in sharp breaths of alarm, and my friend currently dueling exclaims,

"Self-Destruct?! As in Lilly's gonna blow up to kingdom come?!"

"That is correct, Athena. You need to stop that countdown before it reaches zero."

"Mph! What a way to pile on the stakes...Though this shouldn't really change up my plans, right, other than speeding up the clock?"

I nod in confirmation:

"Yes. Just continue with your strategy to duel Lilly's memory back."

"Alright...May God and Lady Luck be on our sides tonight...Draw!"

(Swipe)

"...Ha, yes! Finally! I activate from my hand, Starlight, Starbright!"

LillyBot asks in a monotone but taken aback tone,

"What is this?!"

"It's a Spell that allows me to match up Gagaga Girl's Level to Gagaga Magician!"

As soon as both spellcasters had the same Level of Four...LillyBot felt the rush of her recent memories wash over her in a massive recall.

"...Memory Banks Overriding Operational Protocol! Override, Override, Override!"

She was soon jumping back and forth between her dormant and battle form as the pressures of her true identity fought to take control again...comically enough, by using this familiar phrase.

"Athena, reckless! Athena, reckless! Aaaa-thena, reckless! Athena, reckless!..."

Rolling her red irises, said subject of triggering calls over with a smirking smile,

"Yeah yeah, I know; just belt out what you gotta, Lil!"

Tiffany and Jamal were feeling as inspired:

"Go, Lilly!" "Keep at it, girl!"

The robot had soon snapped back to her normal state:

"Athena, reckless! Athena, reckless! Athena, reckless! Athena, reckless!...Operational Protocol has been successfully overridden!"

Said human girl cheers,

"Alright, she's back!"

...Unfortunately, it would seem that the memory recovery was only able to stop so much of the programming from that thief.

"Therefore, now Failsafe Systems are now Enacted!"

I hear Tiffany mutter anxiously,

"Oh Lilly," while Jamal cursed loudly in time with Athena's...I warn her,

"There are just twenty seconds remaining, Athena!"

"Then let's skip to where it all counts! I now Overlay Level Four Gagaga Magician and Gagaga Girl, to XYZ Summon Number 39: Utopia!"

Said Number would quickly rise up to the field in front of us just as our other two friends urge,

"Cutting to the end here, people!"

"Hurry, Addy!"

"Next I call upon Gagaga Girl's ability! Since she and her master magician were used to XYZ Summon, your monster's Attack Points drop all the way to zero!"

Utopia releases a ringed stream of light to hit Rhinobot, forcing their Attack Points to be eliminated...

"I hoped it wouldn't come to this, but let's see if a good whack will jog you back! Go, Utopia: Attack Rhinobot with Rising Sun Slash!"

His sword connects and destroys the mechanical rhinoceros, leaving LillyBot to go flying backwards as her Life Points dropped to zero, and her countdown stopped just two seconds before the self-destruct sequence could activate...

 _Hah, thank goodness. That was close._

"LillyBot!"

I snap out of my relieved thought to the sound of Athena and the others rushing to check in on LillyBot and see if there was any positive changes this time. I join them in waiting a moment with bated attention...before her eyes blink as she states,

"Athena, you're reckless. Athena, you're reckless."

Excited smiles spread onto the faces of the three young teens, before they all jump to hug her as Jamal chimes,

"Aw yeah, welcome back, Lilly!"

Once they all calmed down, Athena then says with a soft smile,

"Alright, you guys...let's all head for home, eh?"

We all nod in agreement, LillyBot saying repeatedly,

"Home, home, home," before starting our way to the front gates of this place...

(Boooooom...)

But just as we ready to exit down the path back to the main neighbourhood, we would all pause with wide eyes to the sudden echo of a distant explosion sounding from elsewhere in the city.

"Huh?"

"What the hell was that?"

"Dunno; sounded like it came from up the highway..."

"Uh oh. The others."

Eyes fall onto LillyBot come her sentence, as she turned her face to reflect a frown when she supposingly senses,

"The others, they, continued my countdown..."

...Tiffany would quickly pieced together what the LitterBot meant:

"Uh! You mean, the other robots that creep made off with?"

"Correct."

...We all look to once another with cringed expressions, realizing what likely must have happened, until Athena shrugs and comments nonchalantly,

"Eh, not our problem that Karma decided to turn on him."

Time Skip, No POV

Come the next morning in the Fujina household after the rumble in the junkyard, we would find Terry watching the early news on the living room couch in his dark orange-trimmed grey lounge pants and shirt, cringing at the breaking story being reported.

 _"Last night when police responded to an explosion, a man was arrested after-"_

"Aw crap, someone scooped Yoko's story! Ugh, today's gonna be filled with nonstop bitching over the phone, I know it..."

Athena, dressed in one of her several jogging outfits with her backpack slung over her shoulder and her waist-length long hair tied back in a french braid, quietly snuck behind the furniture past her brother who was silently wailing into his knees, and out the door to start a new day...

"See you later, Gramps, Lilly!"

"Athena, do not forget your Duel Fuel. Catch!"

She spins around and swiftly catches the wrapped package tossed by the LitterBot, before replying back with a slight smile,

"Thanks, Lil. Anything else?"

"Just one thing: You're reckless. You're reckless. You're reckless-"

Groaning with a sweatdrop, Athena waves a dismissive hand and mutters,

"Why do I even ask," before turning to begin the first length of her morning run, smiling as life fell back into step again...


	22. Theivery and Memory-Clashing?

Young, dulled gold irises gently flutter open to stare up with faint wonder at a night sky filled with soft wisps of cloud floating against a deep cerulean blue flooded with the faint twinkling of stars, the air filled with white flower pedals that danced on a gentle breeze...

"...Hey, Hart. Look."

A pair of hands move in front of the boy's line of vision, belonging to his older sibling, that held a mug of steaming drink meant for the former.

"I brought your favourite, little brother, Hot Chocolate. Go on: Take a sip."

...Hart slowly peers his eyes around to take in more details of the place he and Kite were currently at, that being the front deck of a beautiful cottage with a hardwood red roof and stone chimney, sitting on the left side of a large oak that had a simple swing attached, in the middle of a large, open field of wild grass and delicate flowers of white, yellow and lilac. He himself was laying on a wooden lawn chair under an orange blanket, his head resting against a soft yellow pillow decorated with orange star shapes.

"But where, are we?"

"Don't you recognize this cottage? Think back: We lived here when we were growing up."

"We did?...Urh, I can't remember."

Kite had to fight hard to not let his strong front crumble like weakened ceramic, and proceeded in his latest attempt to gently assist his younger sibling recall what their mind had lost in their torturous endeavors.

"Well I remember how much happier you were back then. Nothing could get you down. You were always laughing and telling jokes...but something happened, kid...You changed."

Gritting his teeth a bit, the young man looks away and adds under his breath with a suppressed rage,

"And I know who did this to you."

...Suddenly, the area around the two siblings began to fuzz out like a television channel with a bad signal, before dissipating completely in a fester of pixels, revealed to have been an illusion created with a combination of the AR World and old photographs that captured a life before the events that would change their lives for everything but the better...

Mister Heartland would then appear through the floor entrance of an elevator just seconds afterward.

"Ooh. So sorry to interrupt this brotherly reunion, but I'm afraid it's time for Hart to get back to work."

Kite rose to his feet to glare at the sardonic-smiling man before replying lowly,

"He needs to rest. You're pushing Hart way too far. Don't you see; you have to take it easy on him."

"That may be. Nevertheless, Doctor Faker insists that Hart keep working."

"He won't!"

"Stay out of this, Kite."

The gray-eyed blond turns to stare at his younger brother in shock, while he rises to a sitting position on the side of his bed, ignoring the exhaustion wracking his bones.

"This mission is way too important for me to give up now."

"But Hart..."

"Don't worry about me. I'm the only one with the power to save our world, Kite."

The young bluenette flashes a weak smile at Kite and adds,

"I wanna do whatever I can to help."

"...I know..."

The man in the aqua green suit cuts into the moment between the brothers.

"It's settled then! Doctor Faker will be thrilled to hear you're back on the job, Hart."

The unlikely pair walk to stand on the elevator entrance, and the older adds in a near stern/mocking tone,

"And I'm sure Kite will get back to work tracking down the Numbers we need. _Isn't that right? You do want your brother to get better, don't you?_ "

With that, they were gone, leaving Kite alone atop the infamous Heartland Tower, sighing in both an angered and saddened manner as he held the forgotten drink close to him like an old friend...

...His attention is then directed at something sticking out from inside the casing of the pillow on Hart's bed.

"Hm?"

Setting the mug down on the side table, Kite moves to tug out the mystery object, namely...a set of papers with images drawn on almost feverishly with various warm shades of crayon.

"What's this?"

 _Why, would Hart want to hide something like this?...Is there something he's not telling me?_

Sitting down on the side of the bed, the late teen began to slowly analyze each picture coloured, all depicting a rather, disturbingly similar theme.

 _This looks like...a hallway of sorts...Some have walls of fire, while others..._

 _They look like glass casings, with, figures trapped inside. What does this mean?_

 _...Wait...!_

His hand stops swiping through the papers come one particular image, that captured what seems to be multiple events at once: Drawn in red and golden yellow, we see a childishly-drawn figure of...a young girl looking outward from a room with a pained, insane expression on her face on one half of the paper, while other showcased that same anonymous person atop a flat surface with her back arched, screaming while something around her neck shone brightly!

...But what struck Kite, was the faint familiarity he felt as he gazed at the irises of the figure.

 _It's her!_

Fujina Residence  


"Whoa whoa, what?! Are you serious?!"

Moving along, we zoom into the inside of Athena's bedroom, as the girl with long, shaggy black hair with copper-red tips is informed by Astral of a piece of important information regarding her golden pendant.

"There's some kind of mechanized airship sitting inside a temporal space within my key?!"

"Correct."

Athena holds out her special pendant from around her neck, gazing at it with an astonished expression.

"Incredible...If that doesn't prove the ole 'more than meets the eye' quote, I dunno what does."

"Clearly, that key comes from a place far from this world. When your parents gave it to you, they may have known it contained many mysteries."

The girl shuts her eyes in thought, recalling a new dream she had the other night.

"Mm, that sounds right...And somewhere, in the back of my own mind..."

 _(Flash)_

 _The scene is blurred considerably, but squinting between the unfocused lens, we see a small, thrashing figure being held down by at least four larger ones on a table surface, before the entire area is overcome by a blinding flash of golden light, a youth's scream faintly echoing in the background..._

 _(Flash)_

"...There's a memory of one said mystery trying to make itself known."

Holding the side of her head with a grimace of frustration, Athena mutters,

"I just wish I could remember better than this. This trauma recovery's going way too slow for my liking...and, it's almost scaring me that my mind wants to go at tortoise speed, like it knows I'm not gonna like what I see...But I dunno how any of that, could be worse than the trials I've gone through already..."

Astral's expression shifts to one of concern and empathy:

"Athena..."

Shaking her head, she then asks more neutrally,

"But I'm steering us off-topic, aren't I? So, is there any way of getting that airship out of the key?"

Folding his arms, Astral replies in his own thoughts,

"I do not know. You see, the airship is constructed like a giant puzzle. I'm convinced that the Numbers we have been gathering are the key to solving this puzzle...If we succeed in gathering all of them, then we shall see."

"Hm, so the Numbers are acting as the combinations for both that ship, and your memories...(Wry smile) Talk about pulling double-duty."

Sensing Athena's dry attempt of humour, the blue being formed a slight smile of amusement, watching as she moved to sit on the side of her bed again, the bottom of her giant light grey sleepshirt riding up to the top of her knees.

"...There is one detail from those, (shudder) horrible days, that's coming back to me. It isn't really related to the pendant, least I don't think, but...it does strike me as odd."

"Oh? What does it entail?"

"Hrm...A, small figure, walking past the entrance to that room I was trapped in, between three taller ones...I think they were all male...And the smallest one: He stopped in front of me, and just...stared at me, I staring back, before moving along."

Holding a finger under her chin, the girl adds,

"And the weirdest part...is that I feel like, I saw them again recently...but I dunno how or when."

Kite's POV

...Once I shook myself loose of that shocking feeling that coursed through me after looking at those drawings Hart did, I tucked them back in their hiding spot so my little brother wouldn't get suspicious of my knowledge (I knew he would eventually tell me about them at his own pace) before leaving to find Orbital and get on with the next hunt.

...Yet as I stood in the descending elevator, I found myself thinking about that one particular drawing Hart made...and who my memory quickly compared it to.

 _It may not have been clear...but they looked almost exactly like that strange girl I dueled not too long ago._

 _...But what could she and my little brother possibly share in common?_

 _Where's the connection?_

The door opens, and I conclude as I start my approach to the robot sitting at the large supercomputer,

 _I'll find the answer eventually, but right now, I need to focus._

"Get it in gear, Orbital Seven. We're going Number Hunting again."

Of course, I would find him sleeping on the job, again...

"Hey you lazy hunk of junk, wake up...I said wake up!"

Orbital jolts awake with a yelp, before fruitlessly trying to defend his actions with some lame excuse.

"I-I, wasn't sleeping! I was, resting my se-sensors!"

"Yeah, right. Have you finished up that report yet, the one that lists all the duelists that have Numbers in the area?"

"U-Uh, I, kind-a forgot."

It took a heavy amount of restraint to refrain from shooting a fist at his mechanical head, instead opting to empty-threat the orbital unit.

"Your memory circuits must be failing. Maybe it's time I traded you in for a newer model."

That served to scare Orbital enough to scramble away in making up for his mistakes.

"Guh! P-Please don't do that! I'll whip up that report for you in a flash! I-I promise!"

At one time in the past, I might've felt a twinge of guilt from the harsh attitude I was directing onto him, since this robot has been with me through these last couple years and has virtually become the only being I could really trust with the issues I'm currently forced to carry on my shoulders...

...But in these current times, I can't afford to let such feelings hold me back from reaching towards the end of that winding road, so the only thing I can do is toughen up, and keep this mask going.

"While you're at it, find me the Original Number."

"The Original?"

"Yes. Doctor Faker said that there is an original visitor who brought the Numbers to this planet. I suspect, this visitor may have found a host in Heartland City."

"A-A-A-A host?...Ah! I think I h-have it!"

Extending his several tendril cord fingers to start typing again, Orbital then brings up the very girl I was thinking of but a few moments ago.

"Remember that g-girl Athena you challenged? I-I noticed something during your duel: She was wearing a strange p-pendant."

Pulling up a screenshot he took during that evening, the robot then does a search on the pendant in question.

"I'm running a computer analysis n-now..."

Half a minute passes, before the results come back.

"What does it say?"

"It conforms that the pendant, did not come from this pla-planet."

"Really?"

 _Hm...Her determination to protect her Numbers..._

 _Hart's drawing that held a likeness to her..._

 _They can't be a mere coincidence. There's some sort of mystery wrapped around that girl._

"Orbital, locate Athena and gather as much information on her as you can."

I turn to leave the lab and call over my shoulder,

"And please do not make me ask you twice."

"I'm on it, b-boss!"

As I enter the elevator again, I add to myself fiercely,

 _Our next duel will be Athena's last._

Time Skip, Athena's POV

"Move it or lose it, people!"

 _Damn it, I cannot be late for swim class of all classes, or Tiff's gonna have my head!_

Most of today's adventure of education's been fairly tame, even with my head drifting to the clouds over topics outside the realm of school, from the new fragments of my trauma-blocked memories that have been giving me jump-scares in my dreams this last while, to the mind-blowing phenomenon that was this supposed airship resting inside my pendant like a sleeping dragon.

But such distractions were costing me some in terms of punctuation, as evident by my currently sprinting form speeding down the halls with my school-tailored swimsuit wrapped in my one large white towel, the bundle tucked almost carelessly over my shoulder. I had already nearly knocked over six of my fellow academy attendees, four of which giving me dirty looks that I returned, while any others just backed to the sides quick, knowing that being in the middle of my path during these moments was a safety hazard.

 _It's a wonder I haven't accidentally sent anyone to the nurse's office this year..._

(Whack)

"Gah!" "Ouch!"

 _Crap; spoke to soon!_

Guess I wasn't paying as much attention to my surroundings as I thought I was, 'cause next I knew, I collided right into someone before we both landed right on our behinds!

...Shaking off a slight dizzying feeling from the impact, I ready to lift myself up while reaching a hand out to the poor sucker I ran into.

"Sorry, dude, didn't see ya the-Whoa...!"

I froze halfway when I was able to fully focus on the person in front of me.

"...Shark?"

He sucks some air between his teeth from the waning after-impact, before shooting me a smirk-glare.

"Is that how you greet all your friends when you're behind the eight ball, or am I just that special?"

Shaking off a flash of shock at his subtle acknowledgement of friendship, I let out a bark of a laugh and retort dryly,

"Cocky today, are we? Charming...So you're finally back in school, huh?"

We lift ourselves off the ground as he replies,

"Mm, yeah, I finally got bored enough to give school another go again."

"Hm. Well good for you. I was actually starting to miss your presence in this temporary prison."

(Bong, bong, bong...)

Letting out a muffled curse, I mutter,

"No way I'm gonna make it to swim class now, least not without getting an earful from the teacher...and Tiffany."

...I then felt a hand slightly bigger than mine lightly grip my wrist, and I look up to see Shark giving me a near-mischievous smile.

"Then why not forgo the class altogether?"

"Huh?"

"I was plannin' on skipping English right now anyway, and, I wouldn't find it an inconvenience to hang with someone for the next hour or so."

 _He wants to hang?_

Forming my own wry smile, I quirk,

"You mean incase you get caught and you won't be stuck with all the blame?"

"Maybe, maybe not."

 _...Eh, what the heck? I'm already passing with flying colours in P.E._

After sneaking my swimming stuff back into my locker, Shark and I would find ourselves overlooking the front courtyard of the Academy up on one of the little viewing balconies opening to the outside from the buildings, chatting over some rather random topics (most relating to past duels)...until I somehow found myself revealing my encounters with that Number Hunter, Kite, realizing that the former was still an odd duck out among my circle of friends who hasn't heard of that mysterious duelist yet...

"So that's why you were down at the pier in the middle of that freak storm: You were trying to escape from him."

"Yeah, and a whole lot of good that did: He just came swinging again the next day after Akira and I barely won that brawl against those creeps from the Fallen Stars..."

"...And why did he suddenly take off? Seems like the duel was a waste of time if he was gonna leave before he could end it."

I nod in agreement with a glare of thought on my face cast to the grounds away from us.

"That's just the thing: I think he's on some kind of time crunch...and, it's gotta have to do with that kid I saw on that mini-mech's hologram."

I recall that brief snippet I was able to catch before the call was cancelled, and...that faint echo I heard within my mind during the climax before Kite vanished.

"Thinking about it more, Kite...He looked at that kid with the kind of expression my brothers get whenever I come home with more injuries than they'd care to see on me...I'm thinking there could possibly be a familial relation between them."

"You sure?"

"Yeah...But it still doesn't answer the question of why Kite's doing this, why he's trying to gather the Numbers I need to collect for Astral to restore his memory."

Shark lets out a scoff and states,

"Well it's gotta be for a selfish kind of reason. After all, these Numbers haven't really been reflecting a good from their temporary hosts, have they?"

Anyone else would've disagreed with his bitter-like remark...but I knew that in a way, he had a point.

 _I may not have been drawn under a dark influence by any of the Number Cards...but still._

 _My reason for collecting them could be classified as selfish, since I don't want anyone else getting their hands on 'em, 'cept for Astral since they're his more than anyone else._

"No, I guess they haven't...but he didn't reflect any of the signs of being a puppet to any Number, so, somehow his resolve is holding out."

"Tch, right...So when do you think he'll strike again?"

"No idea, and I'm trying not to think about it too much and save myself from a stomach ache."

A silence falls between us for a few minutes...before our eyes would catch something odd down below.

"Huh?" "Hm?"

Strangest thing: An upside-down garbage can that was moving on its own towards the entrance under us.

 _What the hell...?_

Curious, we quietly steal ourselves downward until we were spying from around the corner a couple feet behind the um, garbage can, watching it with suspicious expressions.

 _Who the heck is dumb enough to sneak into an Academy of all places?_

"I feel so trashy in this disguise..."

 _Uh! That voice..._

The container is lifted a little, revealing the head of that very robot I had mentioned in conversation along with Kite just now!

"That l-locker room should be around here somewhere..."

 _It's Kite's robot sidekick!_

 _...What's it doing here?_

I feel a tap on my shoulder, and look up from my bend to see Shark looking down with a frown of knowing on his face.

"(Mouthing) Felt you tense. Is that thing, his robot?"

I nod furiously, and we both turn to watch that poorly-disguised robot continue on their way, before deciding to tail it and find out what it was up to...

Astral's POV

I was once again hovering around inside the strange apparatus within Athena's pendant, staring up at several dozen gold brick-like boxes representing the collected Number Cards in our possession in thought over their ties and relations to factors outside their function as XYZ Monsters...

"Numbers hold the secret...to this ship...and also, to my memories...and Athena's."

 _I am now more than convinced that this key, is withholding secrets regarding her ordeal in that horrible laboratory..._

"We have ten Number Cards so far. Some have left me with more questions than answers, and that truly concerns me...My memory is weak..."

I look down with a frown and mutter to myself,

"I will need even more Number Cards if I'm going to solve the mysteries that surround me."

(Ba-Bump...)

"Hm?"

I dart my head upward when I felt a slight disturbance coming from outside this space.

 _What is going on?_

The next strange occurrence was when the gears of this airship began to slow to a halt...

"How odd. Why is it stopping?...Huh?"

I then turn to the sound of small pixel-like explosions, and watch as the Numbers that have been discovered started to withdraw from their places among those, seals...

"The Numbers are disengaging..."

They reappear in their card forms around me, making me feel more tensed.

"Why is this happening?"

Looking upward to where I would go before materializing to the outside world, I saw what appear to be, dark rain clouds...

"I sense that something is wrong."

Shark's POV

Athena and I wound up creeping after that robot for the next several minutes, until we found it standing outside the entrance to the girl's locker room...

 _What could it possibly want from in there?_

 _...Hang on: Addy was heading to swim class before, wasn't she?...Did that robot somehow get a hold of her schedule?_

"This must b-be the locker room. I can t-t-tell from the odour, though it's not half as bad as the bo-boy's probably is..."

We watch as it began rolling inside after forgoing that lame trash can disguise, and silently make our way to watch from the entrance way as it scanned each locker.

"Now which one is A-Athena's?"

 _Uh! I knew it!_

And it seemed she came to the same conclusion I did, and boldly steps inside to stand a few feet away from the robot before asking rhetorically,

"Why not ask me and find out?"

"Gaaah!"

It jumps a foot in the air before whirling around to stare almost fearfully at the girl who looked at it with her arms folded and glare set.

"Athena! W-W-We meet, again. Shouldn't, y-you be in class?"

"Don'tcha presume to think you can call me out on skipping when you're trespassing. Now how 'bout you explain to me why you're here trying to snoop around my personal items, 'cause I highly doubt this is what Kite likes to do in his spare time."

I had to fight back a snort of amusement at that cleverly-snide comment, before moving to stand near the girl as the robot bristled up before replying,

"I-I think you of all people should know."

"The Numbers?"

"Close. This has more to do w-w-with that _pendant_ of yours..."

 _Her key?_

Athena's right hand subconsciously grabs for her golden pendant on a defensive reflex, and I found myself inching closer to her in a kind of protective manner, both of us glaring at the robot in suspicion and alertness.

"What about her pendant?"

"If it's to get yours or rather Kite's mitts on it, forget it, ya bucket of bolts, 'cause it ain't happening."

"W-Why, you-!"

The robot then tries to lunge one of its arms towards Athena to likely swipe for her key, but I quickly counter with a hard kick to its torso!

"Ha!"

(Clang)

"Dauh!"

(Crash...)

It goes slamming into the lower lockers, and I turn to the girl and ask,

"You alright?"

"Yeah, thanks."

Our attention was then drawn to the sound of a growl coming from the robot, and we look to see it rising back up while glaring at us with a red flash in its eyes.

"That was a big mistake! I may look puny on the outside, but on the inside, I pack alot of dangerous surprises!"

Next thing we new, it suddenly transforms into a much larger and more lethal-looking menace!

 _Oh shit!_

"Now hand it over, sh-shorty, or I'll start drillin' for it!" I exclaim,

"What kind of robot are you?!" It replies in a shout,

"The nasty kind!"

It then lunges a very sharp drill towards us, and we scramble to dodge in two directions to avoid getting impaled then ground to death, the weapon aiming into a few nearby lockers instead.

"Huh?!"

Flipping myself upward, I call to my friend,

"Addy, come on!"

"Right!"

She does a baseball slide underneath the robot's arm to meet with me, before we make a break back into the hall and sprint for elsewhere, but not before catching the sound of the wall caving in and that mecha-creep calling after us,

"Come back here, cowards!"

 _Damn, we gotta lose that hunk of metal, fast!_

...Eventually, Athena and I made it onto one of the roofs of the school where we figured that robot wouldn't be able to follow us, and stop to catch our breaths from all that running we had to do.

"Hah, hah, hah, did you know, that thing could do that?!"

"Hah, if, you mean, transform, yeah, but I didn't, hauh, know it had that form..."

 _Fantastic._

(Rumble...)

I'd have little time to grumble mentally about the situation, when the roof grounds suddenly uprooted from right behind us courtesy of that crazy robot!

"Ah!" "Fu-!"

"I want that pendaaaant!"

It lunges that drilled arm towards Athena, and I felt that brother-like protection instinct kick in, before I launched myself to shield the girl with my own body.

"Athena!"

"Shark!"

We both shut our eyes tight to brace for the impact...when an unknown male voice broke through and ordered,

"That's enough, Orbital!"

...I hear the drill slow to a stop, and opening my eyes in time with Athena's, I turn to see the robot retracting its weapon from us.

"I didn't authorize an attack."

Shifting my gaze upward, I could see a guy with blond hair and grey irises wearing some kind of trench coat outfit who looked around his late teens, staring down here from atop a higher level of the rooftop.

 _Uh! Is, that...?_

Ignoring the robot Orbital's sulking mumble of,

"I never have fun," I turn to see that Athena was glaring in a seething manner at the guy.

...That was all I needed to know.

 _Yep. (Glares upward) This guy's gotta be that Kite character Addy just told me about a little while ago._

"Hmph. So you've decided to show your face to me again, huh, Kite?"

He smirks down at her in a cocky sort of way that held an undertone of seriousness.

"Nice to see you too, Athena. Now, why don't you do yourself and that friend of yours a favour and hand over that pendant to me right now?"

"Bite me, asshat!"

 _...I dunno what this guy wants with her pendant...but I'm not gonna let him get away with terrorizing my friend!_

I stepped forward in an offensive stance and call up,

"So you're that Number Hunter who tried to hurt Athena a while back, huh? Tch, you don't look like much."

I hear Athena hiss my name in a warning manner, while Kite turns his eyes on me.

"Hmph, and who are you?"

"Name's Shark Castle. Remember it well."

"Hm...So tell me, _Shark,_ are you a duelist as well? Do you have any Number Cards in your possession like Athena here?"

 _I did at one point...but he doesn't need to know that._

I smirk mysteriously and reply,

"There's one way to find out." He took the bait:

"Exactly what I was thinking. I'll take that Number, (glance) then with you out of the way, she'll have no protection for me to take her pendant. Call this a double or nothing match."

Athena grinds her teeth with a suppressed growl directed at Kite, before moving to whisper,

"You don't have to do this, Shark. I can take him."

Shaking my head at her, I reply a bit dryly in a low-volume voice,

"It's fine. He's calling me out on the challenge anyway...plus if worse comes to worst, you can run for it and I'll hold him off."

"Shark..."

Flashing her a small smile of assurance, I glance down at that key of hers and think to myself,

 _I was totally heading for trouble, 'til Athena pulled me back from the brink..._

 _I still owe her big time, and today, I can fully pay her back._

"Okay, hunter! Bring it!"

I toss out my ocean blue duel disk and gazer at ready, not intending to show this guy any signs of hesitation to meet his challenge. He meets with his own brand of psyching up:

"Photon Transformation, Go! Heh, prepare to meet defeat!"

"Duel Disk locked, and ready for action! Hh-heh, yeah! Duel Gazer, go!"

 **Augmented Reality Vision Link Established.**

"(Both duelists) Let's Duel!"

Athena was standing a few feet away from my right with her gazer on, and warns me,

"Be on your guard, Shark: Kite's strategies are alot more thought out than his ego is inflated."

I nod at her slightly, before focusing on my opponent standing distant from me.

"You ready? I'll go first. Let's do this! I Draw!"

 _Since this guy hunts Numbers, I bet he's gonna build his whole strategy around 'em..._

 _But I've got a plan that should zero out his Numbers._

"To start, I'll send Big Jaws to the Graveyard, and activate the Shark Lair Spell Card! With this in play, your monsters that have Attack Points less or equal to the monster I just sent to the Graveyard can no longer attack, and Big Jaws has a whoppin' 1800 Attack Points! Good luck summoning a monster with more Attack Points than that...Next, I summon out Shocktopus!"

My Level Four red-skinned octopus monster with 1600 Attack Points rose with a flick of its tentacles to the field.

"Then I'll end my turn with a face-down."

I glare straight ahead at Kite and mentally taunt,

 _Come on, Hunter...Use a Number!_

He then makes his opening move:

"Watch and learn from the real duelist. I Draw! First I activate, Polymerization!"

"A Spell Card?!"

"Yes, that's right, and next I'm going to use its power to fuse these two Photon Lizards, so I can form Twin Photon Lizard to my field!"

His beast comes out as a Level Six winged lizard with two heads and 2400 Attack Points!

"As you can see, my monster is way more powerful than your Big Jaws."

Cursing to myself, I think,

 _I didn't count on him not going straight for an XYZ Summon...Guess this is what Addy was trying to warn me about._

 _Looks like I'll have to play at the top of my game to beat this guy._

"With Twin Photon Lizard out, your Shark Lair can't protect you anymore. Your pathetic strategy failed miserably."

 _...Geez, he is all kinds of arrogant!_

"Now, Twin Photon Lizard: Attack! Go Photon Force!"

His monster shoots out two contrasting waves of energy from their mouths to crash against Shocktopus, destroying it and taking down 800 of my Life Points, leaving the total to settle down at 3200. Athena cries out my name with worry, while I retort back to Kite,

"I didn't fail anything! I activate Shocktopus's special ability!"

My monster that was just destroyed returns to the field as a new 'accessory' for Kite's monster.

"Now Shocktopus equips onto Twin Photon Lizard, and sucks out its strength! Your monster not only loses all its Attack Points, but it can't change battle mode either!"

I hear Athena mutter positively,

"Now that's a cool play," which made my confidence rise slightly as I point ahead to this so-called Number Hunter.

"You see that? It doesn't matter what you try to throw my way! I'm always one step ahead! You played me, and I played you right back! Next turn, I'm gonna take a serious bite outta your Life Points!"

 _And I'll make sure you don't even so much as lay a finger on Athena._

No POV

"Well wipe my drive! That twerp smacked you d-down!"

Kite wasn't feeling the concern that Orbital Seven was, despite how the situation looked currently, and sought to say so to his opponent.

"I can counter that move easily."

"Oh yeah?"

"I activate Twin Photon Lizard's special ability! Now Twin Photon Lizard splits back into two Photon Lizards!"

Said action is performed, the duel sides of the one beast splicing into lime green and purple lights before reforming into two Level Three monsters with 900 Attack Points each, cancelling Shocktopus's ability.

 _His Level Three Monsters are back! This can only mean one thing..._

Athena wasn't as certain as Shark:

 _Hm, it's possible Kite might summon a Number..._

 _But recalling what happened during our own duel...it may not be here for long..._

"I overlay my two Photon Lizards, in order to build the Overlay Network! I XYZ Summon, Number 30: Acid Golem of Destruction!"

The monster that would rise to meet the eyes of our observers and action-takers, was a hulking giant with the features of a golem emerging from a grievous battle in acid rain, their armour shaded in two tones of purple (the dominant a dark lilac and the other a deep violet) and radiating off thin streams of a smoggy miasma, Rank Three and with a strong 3000 Attack Points.

Shark felt his mental expression twitch into a smirk:

 _I was hoping he'd use a Number, and this one has 3000 Attack Points._

 _It's the perfect moment to spring my Trap!_

As she stared up at the new Number that was dripping acidic saliva from its mouth, Athena felt her danger senses rising.

 _This monster's giving me a ghoulish feeling..._

 _If Kite wanted to strike Shark hard, he would've summoned this Number right off the bat and attacked, right?_

 _Why bring it out now?...Unless..._

 _Uh!_

Athena swears under her breath and hisses,

"It's a scapegoat, just like Illumiknight and Gigabrilliant!"

"I activate, Splash Capture!"

The girl darts her head up and tries to warn,

"No, Shark, wait," but he was too deep into the heat of battle to hear her.

"Since you XYZ Summoned, if I take two Fish-Type Monsters and banish 'em from play, I get control over your XYZ Monster! So now I banish Big Jaws and Shocktopus! You were so predictable: I was positive you would summon out one of your Numbers, and I was right! My trap worked like a charm!"

The numeral symbol for Number 30 appears on the back of Shark's right fist at the same time the monster itself transports to his side of the field, and that familiar pulse of energy wobbles through the boy's body, causing his breathing to deepen some as he fought to keep his head straight.

"Hah...hah...hah..."

Athena watched him with worry dancing in her red irises, her fixation on the latter opening her ears to that faint, distorted-sounding echo.

 _"Yee-...let-...take..."_

 _Huh. Odd...The Number doesn't seem to have as strong an influence rate as some of the others have._

 _...I dunno if I'd call that a good thing, though: Only raises my suspicion levels._

Once the boy with cerulean irises shook off the last weak wave of the Number's attempt of temptation, he then calls out to Kite,

"You thought Acid Golem would devastate my deck, but I just turned it against you! Once it strikes, you're through!"

Orbital began to panic:

"M-Master Kite, you should've let me take care of him and her before! I-"

"Stay out of this, Orbital."

"Oh! I-If you insist..."

"It's my turn! I activate the Spell, Forced Release! Now Acid Golem loses all of its Overlay Units!"

A purple-glowing hex circle appears and sucks away all of the Number's orbs of light dancing around its body into oblivion...

"Then I place one card face-down, and end my turn!"

Athena rose a brow at the play:

 _All that just to disable the Number's Special Ability? Hmm...My gut says that will be real bad for Shark, so I hope his guard doubles._

But contrary to her thoughts, Shark was feeling confident that the monster he took would still work in his favour.

"Tch, that Spell of yours didn't get you out of danger. Acid Golem still has 3000 Attack Points, (swipes out a card) and I can't wait to use 'em!"

Kite forms a smirk on his face, glancing at the girl with long black hair tipped copper red as her eyes widen with realization, before focusing back on his opponent to berate their confidence.

"You fool. Don't you realize that Acid Golem is still going to help me win this? It seems Athena has."

"Help you?...Huh?"

Shark looks up to the sound of bubbling, and sees Acid Golem pivot its body towards him...before shooting out a sound wave of purple energy to hit his body and knock him flat on his back, his Life Points knocked down to 1200!

"Shark!"

Gritting his teeth, the boy struggles to rise up from the small crater his body made in the concrete, as Kite explains the rather fatal consequence of using this particular Number Card.

"Even though you're controlling it now, Acid Golem is still doing my dirty work. It may have 3000 Attack Points, but its great strength is balanced by great weaknesses."

"Rgh, yeah, like what?"

"Here's one thing: You must use an Overlay Unit each one of your turns, or else you take damage, 2000 Life Points to be exact."

Shark rose back onto his feet as he took the information in, before retorting,

"Hold on. You're forgetting one thing, Number Hunter: It can still attack! Now go, Acid Golem! Start blasting away!"

"It can't."

"Why not?"

"Because Acid Golem needs Overlay Units in order to attack."

The younger male's cerulean irises widen when he concludes,

"So it's, powerless now," and Athena adds within her head,

 _It's like a new twist on that old-age combo with Saggi the Dark Clown and the Crush Card Virus, only way deadlier!_

 _...Find a way to ditch that Golem, Shark, fast!_

"You were doomed from the start. I suspected that you would try to swipe my Number. I set you up."

Shark lowers his arm from a commanding gesture and mutters,

"...Guess I was the one who fell into a trap, then."

 _No wonder Athena sounded so antsy in her description: That Number Hunter knows his stuff._

 _Underestimating him was careless. This duel is done unless I think of something fast!_

"Rrrgh!"

 _But what? It seems hopeless!_

"...Shark."

Snapping away from entering that road of despair, Shark pivots his head to meet Athena's eyes with his own, she eyeing him with a calmer expression then before.

"Deep breath, dude, and don't answer the door for Doubt. Okay?"

He looks at her a bit confused, but then faces in front of himself before shutting his eyes, and draws a deep intake of air...

 _...She's right. Now's not the time to think about giving up._

 _I know she wouldn't if she was here where I was, so I won't either!_

Nodding firmly to himself, the boy finishes his latest play:

"I play a face-down and end my turn. You're up!"

"And you're going down! I Draw!"

Shark glances at his mystery card with a more clear head:

 _I still have a chance. With my face-down card Life Regeneration, I won't take damage from Acid Golem's special ability on my next turn._

 _That should buy me some time until I can figure out how I can beat this guy._

"I'm activating the Spell, Photon Sublimation! So by banishing two Photon Monsters, I can draw two new cards! And that is bad news for you and your Life Points...And now I Draw!"

Glancing up at the card he gained, a grin forms on Kite's face before he continues wit his latest turn.

"I special-summon, Photon Thrasher!"

This monster bore the likeness of a rogue warrior wielding a sword with similar elements to a claymore but with an inward curve in the blade nearing the hilt, Level Four with 2100 Attack Points...

"And next I summon, Photon Crusher!"

The next warrior to jump to the field would akin closer to a cyber viking wielding a large, club-like weapon, also Level Four but with 2000 Attack Points...Kite's iris and gazer tattoo glow contrasting shades of muted neon pink and blue, amplifying the battle's intensity.

"But, neither one is hanging around, 'cause I've got something bigger and badder in mind! Prepare yourself!"

"Wait, what're you doing?!"

"Just watch! This monster can only be summoned by tributing two monsters that have 2000 or more Attack Points. It's quite large. You might even say... _astronomical!_ "

Seeing that fatal symbol being tossed into the air that nearly costed her own life once, Athena yells within her mind,

 _Oh fu-He's bringing out Galaxy-Eyes!_

"Once this monster attacks, Athena's pendant and your Number will be mine!"

"Uh...! Oh no!"

"Say hello to Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon!"

With that, the massive Level Eight dragonic beast with 3000 Attack Points rises to the field. Its roar would echo over the area in an almost earth-shattering level, making Athena wince while hovering her palms over her ears.

 _Damn, still noisy as ever...Should've known it'd be a matter of time before Kite would bring that thing out._

 _What now?_

(Rumble...)

"Hm?"

She turns her red irises upward to the sound of thunder, and saw that the sky had darkened considerably with clouds that promised a storm.

"When did the weather shift so quick...?"

 _Something feels...strange..._

Similar events were occurring within her golden pendant, as the clouds that gathered above the mechanized airship began to slowly swirl, making Astral feel all the more uneasy.

"Something is happening, in the world outside this key. What, is this?"

...Suddenly, that same deep voice that once protruded from that mysterious demonic door the blue being first entered this reality through, began echoing into the atmosphere of this strange inner space of the pendant.

"The hour for action is approaching...You need the Power of Zexal. The power that changes all darkness into light...The Power of Zexal."

Back outside, Shark's anxiety levels began rising some as Galaxy-Eyes settles to wait upon their next move.

"There must be some way out! Come on, think!" Kite chides unkindly,

"It's all over...Go Photon Stream of Destruction!"

As the electrical fire-blast connects with Acid Golem's body, the younger male felt something dawn on him that didn't fit right in his eyes.

"Hold up: Why are you attacking with that monster?!"

The Number monster disintegrates in a cluster of pixels...

"It's impossible! Galaxy-Eyes isn't a Number Card! Only a Number can destroy a Number!"

"Wrong again: Once Acid Golem loses its Overlay Units, that rule no longer applies! That's why Galaxy-Eyes was free to destroy it."

Shark grinds his teeth in a growl, before retorting,

"In that case, you just made a giant technical blunder, didn't you? With Acid Golem, I would've taken massive damage, but by destroying it, you saved me from its curse and kept me in the duel!"

Though it may have seemed like that on the surface, Athena immediately knew there was more to the move than Kite meant to showcase.

"No, Shark, it can't be that simple!"

He looks at her with surprise at her disagreeing, before focusing back on the blond male as he lets out a short chuckle and says,

"She's quite right. You've already lost."

"How's that?"

"Because you're still under Acid Golem's curse. When it's destroyed, the duelist wielding it takes 2000 points of damage, which means your Number Card belongs to me now, along with Athena's pendant!"

"Tha-That can't be!...Uah!"

Said golem suddenly rose from an abyssal drop zone, before wailing a fist forward into Shark's torso, sending him flying with an outcry as his Life Points fall to zero...!

"Shark!"

Athena immediately starts rushing over to help her friend, but was thrust back by the strong grip of Orbital Seven's spinal cord phalanges wrapping around her upper arms!

"Aah!"

"Not so fast, girly!"

"L-Let, go of me, rust-bucket! Shark! Shark!"

He turns his head over to the ensnared girl's direction with a wince, before muttering back with a regretful expression,

"R-Rgh...please...forgive me, Athena..."

A few tears began forming in the girl's red irises from how guilty the boy looked.

"Shark..."

"I'll take that Number now."

Attention is then focused on the approaching male with grey irises, who stood before the down Shark and held a palm out towards the other.

"Along with your soul as well."

Hearing those words only made Athena struggle harder to break free:

"No...no! Leave him alone! Don't you, dare, you-!"

(Shoooom...POW)

"Aaaaaaagh!"

"Shaaaaaaaaaark!"

The ghoulish-glowing appendage shoots out from Kite and penetrates deep into Shark's spirit, robbing him of it and the youth attached...!

...Athena felt her voice die in her throat straight after her scream, her teary irises wide with horror over what she was forced to witness.

 _...No...No, no, no! Shark! Shark...!_

The shock that riddled her being was so great...she fainted...

Meanwhile, Kite was left to stare down at the collected Soul with his own befuddlement, when he finds no signs of the numerals he hunted.

"...Uh! I don't understand this. There is no Number...!"

His ears catch the sound of a barely-audible gasp, and he turns to see the girl's body being held up limply by his robot companion, her long, shaggy black hair tipped copper red shadowing her face.

"I th-think she went into shock, Master Kite."

...Finishing the collection of Shark's soul, the blond walks over to kneel down and lift Athena's head up by her chin, noting the break of the a new sweat and the tear stains left on her cheeks.

"Hm, so it would seem..."

"...Addy, are you up here?!"

The hunter turns his head to the entrance of the roof, and saw Tiffany, Jamal, Caswell and Caden rush out to meet the open air again, only to become shocked by the scene before them.

"Huah!" "What the heck?!"

"Is that Shark?! What happened to him, and who's that?!"

"Hey! Let go of Addy, you creep!"

Acting as if there weren't extra witnesses, Orbital then informs his creator,

"M-Master Kite. The Photon Mode is eighty-five percent. N-N-No more dueling, please, it's t-time to move out!"

...Kite took one more look over Athena's face, before reaching down to pull off her pendant while simultaneously releasing her mandible.

"Relax, we're leaving."

"Oi, that's Addy's key, you thief! Put it back and tell us what you've done!"

He momentarily glances over at Jamal's glaring face, before signalling Orbital to drop the girl and transform into his glider form. The impact of the sudden fall would stir Athena awake:

"U-Uh...Huh?"

As her vision clears, her red irises would catch a faint golden gleam hanging from Kite's fist before he takes for the air, jolting the girl right back to reality when she realizes,

 _Shit! He's got my key...and, Astral's still inside!_


	23. A True Test of Courage, Part One

Hey all! I meant to put this message in my last chapter, but I forgot, so I'm doing it now. I'm back in University, so on top of my job, things are gonna get busy for me and will more than likely make my story updating slower here and there. In other words, don't panic if there's like, a ten day delay or something or other before the next piece.

...That's it. Read on :)

* * *

Light rain cascaded from the stormy skies as the thunder rolled, trickling water down the bodies that still lingered on the roof shortly after Kite made his retreat with Athena's pendant. She herself had moved to standing with a blank, yet sickened expression directed ahead to the edge where the Number Hunter had left from, her anxiety rising for the friend that was also inexplicably stolen away with her key.

 _...Astral..._

Meanwhile, Jamal had shifted from becoming angry over Kite to trying to get the aged Shark to rouse awake and give any sort of sign to being in tune with the world.

"Shark? Shark! Come on, man, wake up!..."

Tiffany, who stood between Caswell and Caden, mumbles with a scared expression,

"This isn't good. Not at all..."

After shaking the second-year student's shoulders one more time, and receiving only a weak groan to couple the near-dead facial expression, the young teen with olive-coco skin and black dreadlocks stood with a sigh and disgruntled face, muttering bitterly,

"Rgh, it's no use: He's as dead to the world as the rest of those poor souls...That guy that took off...He must've been the Number Hunter."

The other three gasp and Caswell exclaims worriedly,

"Th-That would mean Shark's soul was-...Oh dear..."

Caden's brown irises shift to look over Athena's form, and he says with a sad frown,

"He also took off with Addy's key, and, if she's looking like that...Astral must have been taken with it."

...We move within the underground laboratory-like room with the giant supercomputer belonging to Kite, as he approaches Orbital Seven to find out their progress on analyzing the pendant.

"Are you finished yet?"

We see the robot typing away on the large keyboard, using some sort of laser on the pendant floating within a crystal-shaped containment.

"Almost. The analysis is still running. I-I-I just have to complete this Photon Stream Probe. I-I-If this works, then we can figure out if this pedant does come from another world, a-and just maybe, what it's real pur-purpose is."

"Find out everything you can."

As the electrical wiring of the walls began pulsing in preparation for this probe, Kite mutters to himself,

"Doctor Faker is keeping something from me, but I'm going to uncover the truth."

"I-If Doctor Faker hears about this investigation, he-he'll go ballistic!"

"So will I if you don't get results."

"Y-You can count on me!"

Small Time Skip, Athena's POV

It would've taken the combined efforts of Tiffany and Caswell's gentle coaxing to convince me to leave the school roof with them, while Jamal and Caden took it on themselves to gather...Shark, into their arms to cart to the hospital. We met Flip about halfway out the front door, and once he saw the latter's condition and got a quicky explanation from Tiff about what happened, he helped out by leading us down the fastest route through the city to get medical help.

...Oddly enough, Shark would end up in the exact same room that I was in when I blacked out during our duel, dressed in the patient garbs while hooked up to a IV and heart monitor, looking disturbingly like someone with a terminal illness.

I could only stare with worry on the outside over my friend's condition, while my insides were churning with a bubbling rage at the one responsible for this.

 _Curse you to hell, Kite. Shark didn't even have a Number, and you still took his soul anyway?!_

 _How messed up is that?! I swear you're gonna pay for this!_

 _This...and for kidnapping my friend inside the pendant you stole._

As much as a very small part of me had a strange pity growing for the older teen, for ever since his abrupt departure from our duel, I've begun to suspect that just maybe, Kite wasn't doing what he was doing on his own volition...his actions are still his own choice in a way. He could've fought back, and I'm sure he had...yet he's chosen to act in a rather despicable manner, which in my eyes, is completely inexcusable.

Anyway, taking a short break from my brooding thoughts, I listen as Jamal wonders aloud with his own small frown of concern,

"...Is Shark gonna be alright?" Caswell answers uncertainly,

"Doctor Moreno said that there's nothing wrong with him physically..."

Caden mutters,

"But that isn't the real problem, (glance) right, Addy?"

I nod grimly and reply,

"Right. The issue lies spiritually: Crazy as it may sound, the fact is that without his Soul, Shark can't interact with the world anymore than a comatose patient can."

Gripping one of my hands into a fist, I add with a grind in my teeth,

"But my main concern is towards what Kite took along with Shark's soul...Astral...He was still inside the key when it was stolen."

Flip asks me with widening eyes behind his glasses,

"So then Astral's been kidnapped?"

"Mhm...I gotta track Kite down and get the pendant back, if not for my sake, then Astral's."

Jamal asks with a brow raised,

"Does Astral actually live inside your pendant?"

A short-lived wry smile appears on my face:

"Yeah, I know it sounds nuts, but there's suppose to be this whole other dimensional space inside my pendant, housing more secrets than he and I care for..."

I place my clenched fist over my heart as my lips form a frown again, and my eyes shut to stop the weak formation of tears as I mutter more to myself,

"It's that key, that keeps Astral and I together...To not have it with me right now, feels more wrong than it ever has in the past..."

Tiffany softly mutters my name in concern, before Caswell says more on topic,

"In the end, it won't be easy to recover your key, especially when you don't know where Kite has gone."

Flip berates his thought by exclaiming,

"Nothing in life's ever easy, but that doesn't mean we can't try something!"

Caden nods in agreement, saying to me with a soft smile,

"You won't have to search by yourself, Addy: We'll help too."

I blurt out a softer 'thanks' with a fragmented smile, before Jamal hms,

"Question is, where do we start lookin'?"

Feeling a bit more motivated, Caswell puts his brain to work:

"If the key truly is that special, Kite will wanna examine it. He'll likely want to run a computer analysis...Ah! Addy! I think I just figured out a way to track down your key!"

That made my heart flutter with anticipation:

"Really? How?"

"First, we need to return to the Academy and find Mister Kay. I'll explain on the way, c'mon!"

Though slightly confused, the rest of us let Caswell lead the way out of the hospital, I looking back at Shark one more time while promising,

 _Don't worry, Shark...I'll find a way to get your soul back._

...Just I exit the room to rush down and join everyone back in the entrance lobby, Doctor Moreno suddenly came by in the hallway looking rather, troubled about something, more so when his eyes catch my form.

"Ah, Athena. Are you and your friends leaving?"

"Uh, yeah, something important's come up and we can't stick around...Why? Is there something wrong?"

The older man sighs with a frown before walking closer to me with a serious expression.

"Unfortunately, there is. The technical division is working on trying to find out what happened, but...Athena. Someone hacked into our medical records and made copies of your files."

That wasn't something I expected:

"What? My files?"

"Yes, and so far we've only been able to conclude the perpetrator, is from this city."

 _But, who would want to...Unless...could, it have been Kite?_

 _Is he trying to create some sort of profile on me?_

Kite's POV

As soon as the Photon Stream Probe was finished scanning Athena's pendant, both Orbital and I would be surprised by the following discovery.

"W-Well, I'll be rebooted!"

"What is it?"

"The pendant has it's own g-gravitational field, i-inside!"

"It's own field? Is that possible?"

Orbital zooms in on the object for closer observation:

"Look: The field is generating an interdimensional link between this world, and somewhere else."

 _Somewhere else..._

I quickly deduced,

"It must be Astral World. Open that link now, Orbital."

"Okey doke!"

As the robot began running tests to activate the link, I wonder to myself,

 _What is that girl Athena doing with a link to Astral World? Is she even aware of it?_

 _...There's something more to her than she shows._

"Oh yes, I ju-just remembered something: Master Kite, there's something I found about tha-that Athena girl I feel I should make plain to you, si-since you asked me to gather as much info as possible about her."

"Hm? And what would that be?"

"I-It'd be easier to show you."

Next thing I knew, Orbital brought on what looked to be an old Amber Alert for the local news, a police case report, and various medical files.

 _Huh?_

"A-Apparently, Athena Fujina had mysteriously disappeared without warning for several days one evening about two years ago, believed to have been k-ki-kidnapped, before Detective Quen and his daughter found her o-on the side of that old logging road outside the city. Stranger still, the doctor who e-examined the girl afterward, found she had been injected with a forbidden and very powerful drug r-r-rumored to have been created for a super-solider project. Human nonsense, i-if you ask me..."

That, was not the kind of information I would expect to be related to some young girl.

 _She...was a human test subject?...Not the voluntary kind by the sounds of it..._

"After some more blood tests and physical therapy, it was revealed that the dr-dr-drug had made quite a number of changes to Athena's body chemistry. She is now virtually immune t-to all forms of physical pain, her metabolic breakdown of energy is now about as stable as a dor-dormant volcano, and even her own blood type had mysteriously changed from A+ to O-, making her a universal blood donor!...And the biggest mystery of all, is that the girl ha-had retained no memory of what happened to her, or so the police report says. The hospital file dismisses it as a PTSD-induced amnesia...but still..."

My mind began spinning the gears over this new perspective Orbital provided into Athena's past.

 _Interesting...So it would seem she's been suffering for quite some time._

 _...Much like, Hart..._

 _(Shakes head) No, what am I thinking? My little brother and that girl are nothing alike!_

Despite my denial, I found myself staring up at one of the hospital's file photos of a younger and much more...dead-looking Athena, my mind comparing the hollowed expression to that of the mystery girl in that drawing Hart made...who didn't seem all that mysterious anymore.

 _...Doctor Faker...He's hiding more than just some details of mine and Hart's duties._

 _He knows something else. Something that, somehow, connects this girl to us, even so faintly._

Heartland Dueling Academy, No POV

Inside the classroom used by a certain math teacher during his classes, we find Athena and company speaking with said man about him lending his computer skills to aid in their search for her pendant and the being inside...

"You want me to track down a crook?" Caswell replies,

"We're counting on you, Mister Kay. All you have to do is upload a virus into the data net, and find the computer he's using."

Though the plan sounded simple enough on the surface, the brunette was still a bit concerned about the underlying consequences.

"I don't know. After all, I'm a teacher, not a detective..."

"There's no way we can fail, not with your computing skills."

"Yes, but, still..."

"If you're worried about the law enforcement, don't be."

Mister Kay turns to look at Tiffany, who shrugs with a wry smile,

"Worse case scenario, I can always beg dad to bail us out of trouble."

"Uh! Tiffany..."

Athena cuts in with a serious front:

"Any concern we should have is towards our two friends that are caught in the dire part of this mess. Without your tech savvy, Mister Kay, we won't be able to find the solution quick enough. I know you're worried about the law, but sometimes you gotta break a few rules to get the job done."

The teacher could only stare at his student with widened eyes, until Caswell's wrist tugging on his away from the main group snaps him out of it.

"May I have a word with you in private?"

Once they were standing near the front of the classroom, the young teen with bowl-cut blue hair shifted tactics to that of the blackmail variety.

"Listen: I know you wanna help...especially after all the trouble you caused with your Crashbug Virus."

"Gyh! C-Crashbug?!"

"I bet you feel pretty bad~ about all the chaos around the city..."

Mister Kay chides with a nervous smile,

"Eh-Not so loud!"

"Now here's your chance to make up for it!"

That would be the final push, and the brunette wearing the half-lensed glasses lets out a big sigh while muttering,

"Alright," prompting Caswell to call to the others with a smile,

"He's going to help!"

Their smiles would follow his as Athena replies,

"Awesome!"

The group of students then follow their teacher into his personal office to watch as he got to work on hacking the viral world to find the data trail that would lead to Kite's whereabouts...

"Um, question: Is using a virus really the best way to barge are way into the data-verse?"

Caswell chides to the other skeptic teen,

"Relax, Jamal. I promise this virus is totally harmless. It will simply track all data net searches related to Addy's key, and then pinpoint where they came from, which should lead directly to Kite's hideout, and Addy's key."

Flip grins slightly and chimes,

"Nice! Like the Trojan horse sneakin' Greek soldiers into Troy, we're usin' a virus to creep our way into Kite's place!"

"Ah-heh, I suppose that's another way to put it...and it's all thanks to Mister Kay's expertise."

...But when the Crashbug Avatar appears from the mass of ones and zeros, questions arise regarding the math teacher's particular signature, mostly from Caden.

"Huh? That's odd: This pattern looks quite similar to the Crashbug Virus that caused alot of unnecessary problems around the city a while back..."

Tiffany and Athena cringe slightly, while the teacher secretly responsible for said hacking crime breaks into a nervous sweat, before Caswell exclaims loudly,

"I'm sure Mister Kay had nothing to do with that! Didn't you?"

Said brunette laughs in an exaggerated and uncomfortable manner before muttering with a nerved tone,

"You kids and your wild imaginations..."

He regains his confidence as his virus finishes prepping itself for the launch.

"Yes! The virus has been uploaded successfully. Fingers crossed, everyone."

(Click)

The many mini avatars go surfing into the viral matrix, and Athena mutters to herself as she watches them go,

"Do your stuff, Crashbugs, and find my pendant."

 _And maybe...they'll find out if my suspicions regarding the hack on my medical files are right._

...Meanwhile, back at the unknown locale that was the Number Hunter's lair, Kite continued to have Orbital run tests to open the temporal link to Athena's key, which unknown to him, would lead to somewhere only related to Astral's homeworld...However, it seems they were having trouble getting the pendant to react.

"Carbonic Laser, n-negative. Hydrobonic Beam, thumbs d-down. Nothing is working, Master K-Kite! I've tried every energy source on this pla-planet, but it won't respond!"

"Then use a Baria Crystal."

That caused a metaphorical eyebrow raise for the orbital unit:

"Really?"

"Yes, you heard me. It comes from the Barian World, not from this planet. It's energy may activate the pendant."

"Gre-Great idea, but Baria Crystals are rare. Fi-Finding one won't be easy."

"Use your crystal."

...Orbital felt his mechanical heart skip a beat, and he gaped at Kite for such a calmly-worded suggestion.

"Whaaaaa?! B-But that's my energy source! I-I can't function without it!"

"Losing one small shard shouldn't be a problem."

"I-I guess not...Here goes nothing, except my power supply, that is..."

Orbital Seven opens his inner chambers to where his power core laid, aka, a glowing red crystal the size and shape of a small softball...

"This Baria Crystal lights up my life. I hate to give up a-any of it, but I guess one tiny bit won't hurt...much."

Picking out a sliver shard of the crystal, Orbital puts the piece into a small hatchway that would send the bit to float up near the pendant...

"O-Okay. Now I'll move the Baria Crystal so its e-energy field collides with the pendant."

...As soon as the Baria fragment was but a foot away from the golden pendant, both began to emit a ring of red light, hinting that the latter was being vibrated by the former!

"M-Master Kite, it's working! The pendant is reacting to the crystal's energy field! I can't be sure, but it appears that the pendant's internal energy field is warping. The readings are quite unusual...Sir, l-look!"

(Ping...Zwoooom)

As soon as both objects tapped one another, the key's reaction would be rather agitated to say the least, releasing a beam of golden light to shoot out of the containment...and open a swirling vortex right into the laboratory! Staring at it, Kite says to his robot subordinate,

"Do you realize what this is, Orbital? Athena's pendant has opened a portal, which I bet leads right to Astral World...!"

...The blond falls silent with a narrowed determination chiseled on his face, causing Orbital to ask for the former's name in confusion, before he watches as Kite suddenly ran forward to jump into the portal!

"...I wish he'd learn to look before he leaps."

The Number Hunter's body would soon re-materialize to float over the desert-like sands that made the grounds of the key's inner temporal space, he staring ahead at the geared airship...

"Could this be Astral World?...Mm? What is that?"

Curious, he slowly makes his way towards the golden apparatus...

By this time, the modified Crashbug Virus was getting closer to narrowing the search down, if still having alot to comb through.

"The virus is still searching for Kite's computer. Come on, find it..."

...A minute or so passes, before one of the mini avatars spots a single link portal that held collective data on both Athena and her key!

"The virus has detected something. We're in luck! The data stream leads to a warehouse owned by Mister Heartland."

That caused Tiffany to narrow her eyes in thought:

 _As in the mayor of the city? Hm...I remember: One of my Dad's old case files, included a profile about Mister Heartland._

 _Something to do with...questionable activities?_

 _I'll make a mental note to check it out later._

Meanwhile, Athena was more pressed with the current situation:

"...That's where my pendant is...Where Astral is...Thank you so much, Mister Kay!"

With that, the girl with red irises turns on her heel and starts bolting out of the room, while her friends called after her before joining in on the big run to find Astral and the golden key...

 _Hang on, Astral. I'm coming!_

Astral's POV

...I sensed his presence the moment he materialized into the pendant, the young man I hoped would never reach here.

"So...we meet at last."

I turn to cast narrowed irises over his form, his arrogance made evident by the smug expression on his face.

"You must be the visitor from Astral World."

"I should've guessed it was you, Kite."

He would of course be a little confused over my prior knowledge of his identity, since this is technically the first time he is able to perceive my existence.

"How do you know my name?"

"We were opponents in a duel once."

"Oh really?"

...It would be Number 39 that acted as the giveaway.

"That Number Card...Ha. It's hard to imagine why you would want to team up with a troubled teen like Athena Fujina."

The way he negatively characterized my friend, made me clench my fist a little in accordance to a sudden surge of anger.

 _How dare he speak as if she is unapproachable...!_

Swallowing the raging emotion, I coolly retort back,

"At least she is no thief. Are you not the one who stole the golden key?"

He says nothing that denied my accusation:

"So that's what the pendant is called..."

"You also hunt Numbers. Why?"

"Why do you?"

"Because, Numbers are fragments of my memories."

That seemed to surprise Kite the slightest bit:

"So, you need them to remember?"

"That is right. Now please, tell me why you want Numbers. I demand you answer me."

He had the decency to be honest in his desires:

"I wanna learn the Numbers secrets, and the secrets of Astral World and Barian World."

"Barian?"

 _...Odd...I feel as if I have heard that name before...Perhaps another Number holds an associated memory?_

"The only way to make sure I get the answers I need, is to seize all the Numbers. (Gestures a curved hand) So I'm going to need you to hand over the Numbers you collected with Athena."

Obviously, I would deny such a demand:

"If I did that, I would never regain my memories."

 _Nor would I be able to solve the puzzle that surrounds this key...and Athena's own fragmented memories._

 _...Yes. It has become much more clear to me now: I must help her as well as myself in achieving clarity._

Kite's fingers would curl back into a fist as he then suggested,

"Then I'll have to get them another way. How about a duel?"

As much as a part of me was a little, nervous of going against him on my own, I nodded firmly in acceptance to his challenge. Once we moved away to just outside the roof of this strange airship, we would prepare ourselves for battle.

"Photon Transformation, go!...Hope you're good at subtraction, heheheh, 'cause you're about to lose your Numbers!"

 _If I lose this duel, I will lose more than just my Numbers...but I cannot avoid this challenge._

Using a little of the enhanced power I gain whenever I am inside the pendant, I materialize my own duel disk for my left arm...

"Ready?"

"(Both duelists) Let's Duel!"

Athena's POV

It would've been past dusk by the time my friends and I reach about a third of the way towards that warehouse Kite was suppose to be at, the sky already dark and bringing out the stars to sparkle down on the human race for another night...

Just as I ready to motor up some stairs to a new sidewalk, I felt this pulsing coming from my left hip where my deck holder rested.

"Hm?"

I stop and look down, only to bulge my eyes a little when I see my deck emitting a ring of gold light!

 _What, the, heck...?...Hang on: That glow looks similar to the one my key shines whenever Astral's about to come out._

 _...Could, this be his doing?_

The others catch up to me shortly after that question came to mind, and would become just as mindboggled as I was by my glowing cards. Tiffany then asks a little nervously,

"Um, Addy, w-why are your cards glowing...?"

"...Because I think Astral might be using my deck right now."

A gasp passes through the air, before Flip exclaims,

"Then we better hurry before he gets stuck in a tight spot even he can't get out from!"

"Right!"

We all double up our speed in continuance with our shared goal, my heart hammering a little harder in worry, since if Astral was really using my deck right now,

 _He must be engaging in a duel with Kite..._

 _Be strong and do your best, Astral, and I'll be there soon!_

Astral's POV

"Since you challenged me, I will draw first! I then place a monster face-down in Defense Mode!...Then I'll place another card face-down, and end my turn!"

 _By placing Gogogo Golem in Defense Mode, it can avoid being destroyed by an attack once per turn..._

 _And then, by placing my Battle Break Trap Card, I have further fortified my defenses. Now, when Kite attacks, this Trap will activate, destroying his monster and ending the battle immediately._

My teeth clench slightly as I remained firm in my confidence for my strategy.

 _Go ahead, and make your move, Kite. I am ready for you._

"Brace yourself. Here I go, (swipe)! I'll start by pinning your face-down card in place!"

"Uh!"

"Lock it down, Reverse Buster!"

The monster that would appear on his side of the field had a likeness to that of a cloaked goblin with very large horns, wielding a a scythe-like axe, and was Level Four with 1500 Attack Points.

"When Reverse Buster attacks, you can't activate your Spell or Trap Cards!"

A twin set of chains wrap in a criss-cross pattern around my hidden Battle Break Trap...

"Now, Reverse Buster: Attack his face-down monster!"

My golem flips face-up in Defense Mode, but I was still hopeful that his strength would hold out...that is until,

"Your Gogogo Golem is a goner, because I'm activating Reverse Buster's special ability!"

"What?!"

"When Reverse Buster attacks a monster face-down in Defense Mode, your monster is automatically destroyed."

"Rgh...!"

 _Oh no..._

"And since Reverse Buster's special ability destroyed your monster, you might wanna say your last goodbyes, 'cause your Gogogo Golem can't be saved."

The weapon slashes hard against my monster, and they disappear in a cloud of pixels...

"And it gets better, because when Reverse Buster destroys a monster that way, it gets stronger!"

By that, Kite's monster's power grows to meet,

 _2000 Attack Points...! If Kite uses another monster with at least 2000 Attack Points..._

Images of that dreadful dragon flash before my vision...

 _He can tribute them to summon Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon!_

 _Is that his strategy, or does he have another plan for his monster?_

 _Kite is a clever duelist. I must be careful, or I will lose everything._

"I end my turn, with a face-down!"

Though I could feel my anxiety levels rising, I found myself complimenting my opponent's skills.

"I must commend you. It seems your dueling skills are more masterful then I remember, Kite."

"How flattering...but if you're trying to trick me into lowering my guard, forget it."

"I meant what I said. It is clear you are the best duelist I have ever met, yet I cannot shake this feeling that you are not doing this for yourself. Why is that, Kite?"

Though his tone was of the mocking variety, I could sense that underneath he was covering up a sensitivity to my prying.

"Wait. Is this a duel or are we playing Twenty Questions now? I understand why you're trying to stall for as long as possible, though, since you're losing."

"I sense you are hiding something, something that troubles you deeply."

 _Much like Athena, and her battle to keep her depression from the world view..._

That brought out a more visible reaction, and he tenses a little before exclaiming,

"Enough talking! Let's get this duel over with."

"Of course. I do wish we weren't meeting as opponents, however. I find you fascinating. I think you are very much like Athena."

"Like Athena?"

"Although I was unable to become one with her, my time with Athena has made me come to appreciate her spirit...She misses her parents very much, and to lose them before the time she would need them the most, was truly heartbreaking for her. Though her very livelihood has been put under immense pressures...she continues to try and fight for her place in this world, and vows to never give up so long as she can still draw breath."

"And you, think that I'm like her?"

"Correct."

...Kite's face contorts into an expression of raging denial:

"You're wrong! Just one person matters to me! I only care about Hart!"

 _Hart?...Wait...Could he be referring, to that young boy from that projection just seconds before he left from our first duel?_

I knew that he would not explain himself, but it was worth asking anyway.

"Who is Hart?"

"Nevermind! Let's get back to what's important: Dueling! Get on with your turn!"

"Alright. I Draw! I now play Gogogo Giant!"

Their appearance is much similar to my golem, but was taller and leaner, Level Four with 2000 Attack Points.

"This monster can bring back Gogogo Golem from my Graveyard in Defense Mode!"

They return through the purple vortex in the said defensive measure as I added,

"And since it used its special ability, Gogogo Giant must switch to Defense Mode as well."

While this may have looked like the perfect opportunity to summon out one of my Numbers...I was hesitant.

 _Without knowing the identity of Kite's face-down card, I am not sure if I should risk summoning a Number, or strengthen my defenses._

After giving the matter some more thought...I chose the latter.

"Since I now have two monsters in Defense Mode, I can activate the Spell, Double Defender! Now, once per turn, I can negate an attack from your monster. Finally, I will end my turn by placing one card face-down."

Kite chuckles slightly before commenting,

"I must admit, I'm surprised: I thought you'd summon Utopia...but then you'd be taking a big risk, wouldn't you, because you'd lose the two monsters that are defending you, and doing that would leave you quite vulnerable. Those two face-down cards...they're there to protect you, aren't they?"

"Rrh!"

 _It is as if he can see right into me..._

 _Has our last encounter truly robbed me of forming a neutral front?_

"You seem very worried about something. Are you scared that I'll summon out Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon?"

Hearing the monster's very name made the blood in my veins quiver...which Kite would take advantage of.

" _You are scared_...as you should be, (draws a card)! I now play the Spell Card, Photon Hurricane! Brace yourself, because all your Spell and Trap Cards are about to be blown away! Hope you weren't counting on those face-down cards to save you."

And just like that, my face-downs are cleared off the field and forced back into my hand!

"It cannot be!"

"Yes, the face-down card that made you panic so much,"

"Was nothing I should have feared..."

Kite forms a snide grin and chides unkindly,

"If only you had the guts to be more aggressive on your last turn. I would've been in real trouble. You're going to pay a price for being so cautious! I'm now tributing Reverse Buster to summon, Photon Leo!"

This new Photon-type monster was quite ferocious, being in the guise of a futuristic lion with two clawed appendages protruding from the sides of its back, Level Six and with 2100 Attack Points.

"I activate its special ability, Howling Blow!"

Next thing I knew, I was hit hard by a tornado-spun wave of winds from the monster's mouth, pushing me backwards some ways while the whipping breeze rippled harshly against my skin...

"The end is near, because my Photon Leo's ability blows away all of the cards in your hand back into your deck, and forces you to draw the same amount of cards again."

I let out a startled cry as my drawn cards evaporate from my hand to be returned to my deck...

"Why don't you stop your stalling and get drawing?"

Gritting my teeth, I heed his word and draw forth a new set of five cards as he adds mockingly,

"I'm afraid you'll have to totally rethink your strategy now, heheh. Or you could just give up. It's clear that you don't have what it takes to win this duel. _You're too scared of losing._ "

That taunt sent a jolt through my being...and I found myself recalling a similar set of words spoken to me, the difference being that the person who spoke that time was using their harsh tone in a more teachable manner.

 _(Flash)_

 _"...How do you expect to restore your memory if you're just gonna run off scared from the duelists holding them hostage?"_

 _(Flash)_

 _...Athena..._

No POV

By this time, Athena and the other five academy students had reached their destination, namely, a large metal warehouse fenced off from interlopers who weren't of authorized personnel...Of course, no mere gate was going to slow the red-eyed girl down:

"We're here, guys! Let's vault over!"

(Leap)

"Hah!"

They would each jump up and over or shimmy-climb over the barred fence before rushing to the front door of the warehouse, which Athena immediately began banging on.

"(Whap) Hey, (whap) Kite! (Whap) Open, (whap) the damn, (whap) door!..."

"Addy, your deck's glowin' again!"

She pauses her fisting to Jamal's exclaim, and looks down at her left hip where her deck holster was, seeing that gold ringing once again...

"Shit, Astral's still dueling. I've gotta get in there and help him!"

"What is it you're so worried about?"

She shifts her red irises to meet Tiffany's blue and alliterates,

"I'm freaking out 'cause he's facing Kite alone, and I don't want him to feel like he can't rely on anyone!"

Flip wonders aloud with a fidget of his glasses and a small frown on his face,

"So then he's still got Number Hunter-phobia? What a bummer..."

Caswell argues sadly,

"In the end, you can't really blame the poor guy for harboring some sort of fear against people like Kite..."

"True..."

Athena nods in agreement, adding seriously,

"All the more reason I need to get in and be by his side. I'm not saying I don't believe he can be brave, but...I know he'll feel more confident when he has at least one friend to count on nearby."

With that, the girl with long shaggy black hair tipped copper red returns to whacking her fists against the warehouse entrance and shouting for the Number Hunter.

"Open up, Kite, you bastard! Let me in, and face me!..."

Meanwhile, back inside her very pendant, Kite continues his turn in his duel against Astral.

"Now I'll make Photon Leo stronger with an Equip Spell, Photon Spear!"

Two spears with sun-shaped tips appear in the monster's arms on its back...

"Now when Photon Leo attacks your monster in Defense Mode, if my monster is stronger than yours, the point difference is dealt to you as damage! Photon Leo, stick it to Gogogo Giant! Silver Spear Strike!"

The quadruped monster charges forward, before lashing the spears across Gogogo Giant's body several times, it succumbing to the attack's strength and disintegrating into pixels, leaving Astral vulnerable to be sent flying by the after-impact, his Life Points dropping to 1900!

"Aaaa-uuuh!"

 _Kite is correct: I have been so anxious about losing this duel, that I focused all my attention to not losing!_

 _I had not given any second thoughts to how to win..._

Back outside the Number Hunter's hideout, Athena continues to struggle in opening the front door, now switched to literally trying to force the door to open.

"Hrrgh, come on, open, dammit! Agh, this thing's more stubborn than the backdoor of my house during winter! Mrrrrh..."

After watching her friend for a moment longer, Tiffany forms a determined expression, before moving to tug at the other half of the entrance.

"Rrrrrrrh! Everyone, we need more arms!"

The other four teens quickly assemble two more to a side, before all six began pulling at once.

"Okay, one, two, threeeeee!"

...And after several strong tugs and grunts...the doors open! Athena was quite surprised:

"Huh...I don't remember any of us working out that much, but there ya are..."

But she and others would instantly learn of the real source behind this miracle.

(Brrriiiiing, brrriiiiing...)

"Hm?"

Hearing her duel gazer ringing, Athena pulls it out before answering the incoming call.

(Ping)

It would be Mister Kay's face that showed up on screen:

"I uploaded a new virus to crash the warehouse security system. You should be all clear now."

Curving her lips into an appreciative half-smile, the girl with red irises chides back,

"Thanks, Mister Kay. You're on fire tonight! Call you later. (Ends call, tucks gazer away) Okay, all, let's do this!"

With that, the small group began sneaking their way inside...which was around the same time Orbital Seven tries to call for a sign from his creator.

"Hello, Master Kite? Ca-Can you hear me?...I hope he's okay, ca-cause there's no way I'm leaping into tha-that thing to rescue him..."

 _"Crashbug!"_

His attention would then be drawn back to the supercomputer monitors, as Mister Kay's virus avatars began their work on the inner systems, throwing 'bombs' into the mainframe.

 _"Crashbug! Crashbug! Crash-bugga-bugga-bug!"_

"What's this?! Uh oh, we're being hacked! Better update my anti-virus software..."

(Bzzzzt)

"Gah!"

The robot is forced to flinch back from a sudden surge of electricity that spreads onto the keyboard while blowing a few gaping holes into the machine itself!

"I-It's too late! The whole system is cra-crashing! Master Kite will not be pleased...!"

 **Security Breach in Sector Three. Security Breach in Sector Three...**

"Huh?"

Attention is then drawn to one of the security monitors, and Orbital quickly identifies the bodies on camera before the picture fuzzes out.

"It's Athena and her cohorts! How did they get in here?!...Oooh, I'm going to need a whole lot of new parts after Master Kite hears about this..."

Thankfully, he would have time before that event would come to pass, as said blond was still busy dueling against Astral, and it looked like victory would soon be his.

"You know you're going to lose...Why don't you accept the inevitable? Call it quits, and give me all your Numbers."

...But upon recalling Athena's willingness to life and fiery determination when things got rough, Astral felt his resolve rise back up within him.

"No! I will not quit! While you were sounding off, I remembered some very wise words from a friend of mine..."

Kite rose a brow, while the blue being alliterated with his own expression of determination,

"Prepare yourself, Number Hunter, for today, I will leave my mark on history!"


	24. A True Test of Courage, Part Two

"Astraaal! Astral, where are you?! Astraaal!"

Zooming into the inside hall of the warehouse's third sector, we find Athena and her five friends starting the climax of their search for the celestial being they also call their friend, along with the girl's golden pendant.

"Astral?!" "Astraaal!"

"He's gotta be around here somewhere!"

"We better find him quick; I think I heard an alarm go off!"

"Psh, yeah, and what of it? What's Kite gonna do, send guards after us? I'm betting he don't have the guts!"

That last taunt made by Jamal would not go unheard by Orbital Seven, who was watching the sextet roaming around the halls in a quick pace from one of the camera monitors in the main lab.

"Hmph! Don't have the guts, do we?! I'll show him; time to call for back-up before this spirals out of control."

He extend his metal appendages forward to hit two certain command keys on the supercomputer keyboard, which was no longer sparking much from the recent hacking by Mister Kay's virus.

"Calling Orbitals Five and Six: Bash those brats!"

(...CLANG)

Back in the new corridor the teen group was traveling down, a large, teal blue metal contraption drops from the ceiling suddenly, forcing them to screech to a halt!

"Gah!...Guess we're not goin' this way."

(...CLANG)

Another metal block-like shape, shaded in muted purple and magenta, comes crashing down from above back the way they came, blocking the group of six on both sides, as noted by Caswell.

"Uh! Or that way!?"

They then transform into two distinct anthropomorphic robots, the first one an ape and the other a giant arachnid!  
...Tiffany eyes Jamal with a slight glare mixed with a nerved smile:

"What was that about Kite not having the guts to send security out?"

"Uh, hey, y-you know me, I'm a conclusion-jumper! Besides, this could also be the work of that robot sidekick of his Addy mentioned!"

Little time would be wasted to argue further on the subject, when the robotic ape suddenly lunges one of its arms forward against the group, forcing them all to scramble away in a dodge, minus Athena, who bravely leaps forward to counterattack!

"Yaaaa-hah!"

(KICK)

She gets the robot right in the head, causing it to fall backwards...Meanwhile, Caden positions himself in a cat-like crouch before sliding under the spider robot's legs in his own dodge while Caswell merely tripped backwards in a lucky evade...

Just as the red-eyed teen hops back from another punch from the ape robot, the arachnid tries to jump her from behind...but was stopped by Jamal who side-lunged and shoved it down with his own body!

"Uh! Jamal...!" Straightening up, he then says,

"Addy, make a break for it!"

"What?!"

"We'll keep these robo-clowns busy while you run ahead to rescue Astral!"

"But, Jamal-"

Athena was interrupted when the ape-bot reaches its clamp hand out to try and snatch her up, when suddenly,

"Hey, blockhead!"

(...Bonk)

A uniform-regulated brown shoe came flying to bounce off the robot's noggin, courtesy of Caswell who took a leap with courage to fight back! Caden and Flip praise his efforts:

"Wayda give the robot a boot to the head, Cas!"

"Finally, the class representative shows some grit!"

Smiling at their compliments, the boy with the blue bowl-cut hair turns to say to Athena,

"Go on ahead, Addy! We'll handle 'em!"

She could only stare with awe at the determined smiles on her friend's faces...before nodding with a firm glint in her eyes and a small smirk curved onto her lips.

"Thank you, everyone. Give these nitwits your all, and be careful."

With that, she spins on her heel and began running ahead to slide under the ape-bot and continue her search for Astral and her key...leaving the rest of her crew to distraction duty. In which case, Flip takes one of his own shoes and throws it at the spider-bot:

(Bonk)

"Take that, ya eight-legged tin can!" Caswell adds in a jeer,

"When we run out of shoes, we'll sock you!"

Tiffany and Jamal in turn would make faces at the ape robot:

"Negh, negh, negh-negh negh!"

"Come and get it, ya monkey wanna-be! Ook-ook-ook!"

That would cause the tempers of the robots to rise to steamed levels, before the next leg of the fight would begin...Meanwhile, back within the key and above the mysterious golden airship, the duel between Astral and Kite continues, the latter mocking the former once again.

"Those Life Points of yours are running out quickly, my foolish friend. _Your time is almost up._ I place a card face-down, and end my turn."

...There's a pause as Astral slowly reaches his hand towards the card deck...

"Hesitating? Why bother? You'll lose no matter what you'll do!"

Remembering the new rise of his resolve, he retorts back to Kite as he swipes up a new card,

"We shall see! I Draw!"

 _None of my defensive moves have worked against Kite..._

 _I wonder what Athena would do now?_

At the same time the being thought about the girl, she had reached the locked-down metal doors that lead to the main chamber of Kite's hideout. Cursing at the fact that entry was still eluding her, Athena then spots a small computer control pad set up at the right corner, and proceeded to try her own way of hacking into the mainframe.

 _Man, what I wouldn't give to have Terry and Yoko's expertise right now..._

 _I hope everyone else is okay..._

By this minute, the rest of the teen group had split off into two groups to lure the two security robots away, Caden leading Caswell and Flip one direction with the spider robot on their tail, while Jamal and Tiffany took to keeping the ape robot occupied.

...Observing these scenes from the camera monitors was Orbital Seven, who was not pleased that his fellow bots weren't doing a substantial job at getting rid of the interlopers.

"They're still loose?!...O-O-Okay, no more Mister Nice-bot!"

He chuckle a bit menacingly, his eyes glowing red...We turn back to the duel within the pendant's temporal space, as Kite tries to get Astral to move the battle along.

"I'm waiting. Are you going to make your move or not?"

The addressed being would shut his eyes closed and drew in a silent breath, finding the answer to his earlier question.

 _I know exactly what Athena would do in this duel...I must stare Fear in the eyes, and move forward against all odds!_

"I summon Zubaba Knight!"

The Level Three warrior would cry out their name as they're summoned to the field...

"Next I send this card to the Graveyard, to summon Acorno!"

That was the Level One monster's cue to hop to the field ready for action...

"And then I'll activate the Spell Card, Drop Exchange! Now if I send two or more monsters to my Graveyard, I can summon a monster from my hand, that's equal to their total level! So by sending Level Three Zubaba Knight and Level One Acorno to my Graveyard, I can bring out, Kagetokage!"

Now instead of the two former, we had the latter shadow lizard standing on Astral's side of the field next to Gogogo Golem.

"As you see, I now have two Level Four monsters on my field..."

"I hope you're about to do what I think you are."

"I now overlay Level Four Gogogo Golem and Kagetokage, in order to build the Overlay Network, and XYZ Summon Number 39: Utopia!"

And just like that, Astral and Athena's signature Number Card is summoned to the field, making the blood in both opposing duelists rush a bit in excitement, if for unrelated motives...

"Your Utopia, will soon be mine...!"

"You are greatly mistaken! Utopia: Attack Photon Leo with Rising Sun Slash!"

Utopia heeds Astral's command, and cuts down on the opposing monster, the waving winds of the after-impact crashing against Kite who shields himself as his Life Points drop to 3600...Yet his expression shifts back from a glared frown to a sardonic smirk as he then calls,

"Nice try, but your attack won't work, because I have the Trap, Armoured Back!"

His face-down flips up, showcasing a four-legged creature with a dark energy ring rising from the Graveyard...

"Know what it does? It brings back the monster you just destroyed, so welcome back to the field, Photon Leo!"

The Level Six photon monster returns for battle, also keeping the Photon Spears, much to Astral's disguised dismay.

 _He needs two monsters with at least 2000 Attack Points, so that he can tribute them to summon Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon._

 _I must be ready._

Huffing, he finishes his latest move:

"I place a card face-down and end my turn!"

At the Same Time, Athena's POV

"Come on, come on...Damn, another Firewall!...Rgh, I can't hack this thing!"

I beat both my fists onto the keyboard I was trying to use in order to get this new doorway to open up...and wound up accidentally opening a photo file.

"Huh? Hey, that's...Kite...Never thought I'd see genuine proof of a gentle smile on his face...Hm, that boy with him, on the swing..."

 _I've, seen him before...That projection...and-_

 _(Flash)_

 _I'm looking out from that glass containment unit...straight into the dull gold irises of him!_

 _(Flash)_

I let out a choked gasp, realizing,

 _He...Hart...He came to the laboratory once, during my captivity!_

 _...But, why was he there? And who were those other figures with him?_

I wouldn't have time to do a full wonder of this newly-unclouded detail, when suddenly, my deck releases an overwhelming flash of gold light, making me shield my eyes...before I would find myself in front of that demonic door!

 _Aw crap, what now?_

 _"Athena Fujina, have you the courage?"_

"For what, and you better have a more straight-forward answer this time!"

 _"Unlock the door and you shall gain power beyond anything you could imagine...but to do that, you must sacrifice that which is most important to you."_

...Something about the way that message was worded did not sit well with me, since I've kind-of been 'granted' (note my sarcasm) a forced-upon power once already.

 _And that time, it was my sanity that was sacrificed...and still is, really._

"Tch, been there, done that, and it hasn't done a lick of good for me these last few years. What's this round going to improve?"

The door either ignores my bitterness or tries to coax me away from it.

 _"There is one that stands in your way, however...Use this skill to defeat this threat, if you dare. Enter this door, and with it, gain the power of Zexal!"_

...That was when the vision ended, and I found myself staring at the computer screen once again, muttering over what I had just been offered.

"Zexal...?"

 _What does that have to do with anything right now?...And what's a little more 'power' gonna do?_

 _Nothing...It has nothing to do with anything, and...the only thing power's good for, is driving people mad._

Stepping back some from the computer that was there for the door, I found my hands gripping the skin of my exposed arms hard, close to the point it would break, as my mind filled with bitter emotions towards the idea, of a given power being a good thing.

 _Never...It's never a good thing to be thrust with a power you barely understand!_

 _What the hell's that door thinkin' telling me something like this?_

 _I don't want to imagine a power beyond me! I've already had to...to...!_

 _(Flash)_

 _My thrashing form on the examination table._

 _(Flash)_

 _Outcries expelling in waves from my throat as I jerked around and around in my cell, sitting, laying, wailing my limbs, occasionally grasping my own hair, trying to metaphorically rip away, whatever was jostling my sanity._

 _(Flash)_

 _My figure plastering hands on the glass from the inside of that room, staring with doe-like eyes into...Hart's, shaking like a wounded animal, and whispering some sort of warning to him, or, a last attempted call for help, I dunno._

 _(Flash)_

"Aaaaaaaaaah!"

Letting out a much-needed yell, I shook myself loose from my patchy memories and dropped to my knees from their weight, my breath becoming wheezed and haggard as I slowly came back to reality.

"Hah...hah-hh...h-h...hah...hah..."

 _Come on, Addy...pull yourself together. Now's not the time to be goin' nuts over something you're still trying to understand._

 _...And you know what? Screw the door and this Zexal nonsense. The only threat I should be concerned with right now, is Kite._

 _Astral...keep givin' it all you got. I'm just a stone's throw away._

(Beep, beep, beep...)

"Hm!?"

I dart my head up to the sound of an alarm, followed by the call of a very familiar robot.

"Hold it right there, pipsqueak!"

 _...Orbital!_

The metal door opens from both sides, and I move to stand up at the ready for a new fight, recalling what that mini-mech is capable of.

"Surrender now, or-or feel my fury!"

As the robot rolled to stop in front of me, I mutter irritably,

"Great, you again...Look, I'm kind-a not in the mood to deal with your temper, so let's get this over with quick, okay?"

"Grh, you think I'm not worth your time, do-do you?!"

Orbital then transforms into their battle form, and lunges one of its drill-bit arms towards me while exclaiming,

"I'll show you, you brat!"

Gritting my teeth, I quickly somersaulted away from the line of fire, leaving the drill to go penetrating the metallic ground...But I soon found myself with my back against the left wall, as Orbital comes at me with two drills!

"This is what we do with tre-trespassers!"

Knowing I wasn't gonna be able to get out of the way in time, I opted to making myself as small and thin as possible towards the middle and away from the sides the weapons would impale.

 _Please let his overconfidence bite 'im in the ass, please..._

(Crash...)

...Thankfully, my prayers are answered, and the robot stupidly slammed his drilled arms into the wall, so deep that he couldn't pull them out!

"I got ca-carried away! I ca-can't get unstuck! He-Help me out here, pal! We'll call a truce!"

Giving Orbital a snide smirk, I retort,

"Tch, yeah, no thanks, I'll pass, but good luck."

With that, I dash away under the left metal appendage for the door into the next room, ignoring the robot's cries for me to stop, more determined than ever to get to Astral and help him...

Astral's POV

With my turn at its end, Kite would begin his next:

"My Draw!...I play Photon Circle!"

A flurry of summoning circles comes in to form into one on Kite's side of the field, before a Level Four monster with 1000 Attack Points appears.

"That monster only has 1000 Attack Points. They're not enough to summon Galaxy-Eyes."

"That's what you think."

"Uh!"

"I activate the effect of my Equip Spell, Photon Spear!"

Photon Leo is enveloped in a golden glow...before it suddenly splits into two twin copies of that monster!

 _But, how?!_

"Now when a monster equipped with Photon Spear is tributed to summon another monster, it counts as two."

"As two?!"

 _This is not good...!_

"You know what that means: It means trouble, hehahahahahaha!"

Kite would then toss that summoning symbol into the air, calling forth that dragon...

"I summon Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon!"

With that Level Eight monster now on the field, Utopia would no longer be the strongest on the battlefield, just short of 500 Attack Points to match the former. Kite would immediately take advantage of that fact:

"Go, Galaxy-Eyes: Attack Utopia with Photon Stream of Destruction!"

...But just like what happened in our last duel, this would not be the deciding blow.

"I now activate my monster's special ability! Say so long, 'cause this means both monsters are banished!"

 _But not for long; they will return again...Yet that is not his current intention at present._

"And that leaves you totally vulnerable...Okay, Photon Circle, you're up: Attack him directly!"

I would be hit by that monster's spell circles hard, and my Life Points dropped further to sit at 900...

"Now that I'm done attacking, Galaxy-Eyes and Utopia return to the field...But your nightmare isn't over yet, because thanks to Galaxy-Eye's special ability, it absorbs your monster's Overlay Units, and gains 1000 Attack Points for each one!"

With that done, the dragon now had,

"4000 Attack Points...!"

Kite would then ready another card just to make my problems grow.

"And next I'm activating the Spell Card, Galaxy Storm! This card allows me to obliterate one XYZ Monster that has no Overlay Units, so Utopia's, gone!"

I wasn't about to let him get away from eliminating my ally with a tornado, however.

"I activate, XYZ Reflect! When an XYZ Monster is threatened by an effect, this Trap negates that effect, and strikes you with 800 points of damage!"

The whirlwind circles around Utopia, before it hits Kite in accordance to my trap's effect, forcing his Life Points to drop to 2800...

"Impressive...but not impressive enough! You forgot something: Your Utopia is powerless against my Galaxy-Eyes."

 _Not for long..._

"Perhaps so, but you may be in for an unpleasant surprise. Once again, I Draw! Now you will see, Utopia's true form! When I have less than 1000 Life Points, I can draw on Utopia, and summon Chaos Number 39: Utopia Ray! Go, Chaos XYZ Evolution!"

On that note, my ally transforms back into its emblem to travel through the vortex, before returning in its other, stronger form, the one unlocked after my friendship with Athena was fully forged...Kite was certainly shocked to witness such a sight:

"No way...! A Chaos Number!...I had no idea that Numbers have this power!...Rgh, but it's too bad for you that it still has less Attack Points than my Galaxy-Eyes!"

If my mannerisms were anywhere close to Athena's, this would have been the moment to form a secretive smirk.

"That does not matter. It has yet another target! Utopia Ray: Wield your special ability! Watch as it gains 500 Attack Points from one Overlay Unit. Go, Overlay Charge!"

Utopia Ray's power rises to 3000 Attack Points...before his ability shifts to affect the other monster on Kite's side of the field.

"And now, your Photon Circle loses 1000 Attack Points!"

They lose all of their power, making them the perfect target...

"It is time. Utopia Ray: Destroy Photon Circle with Rising Sun Chaos Slash!"

The swords connect to the opposing body, destroying them, before their wielder is thrown back by the overwhelming after-impact...I felt ready to let out a huge sigh of relief:

"...It is over."

Unfortunately...my presumption was quickly proven wrong when the smoke dissipated, revealing Kite's upright form with one of Photon Circle's hexes underneath his feet, his Life Points being 1300!

"But I thought-!"

"That you had beaten me? When you attacked my Photon Circle, I only took half of the damage I was suppose to take thanks to its special ability."

 _He seems nearly indestructible...!_

"I am placing one card face-down, and ending my turn."

"Looks like you're in trouble now...Watch out! I Draw! Prepare to suffer under the wrath of Galaxy-Eyes, and its Photon Stream of Destruction!"

Thankfully, I still had another Trap Card ready to help me out of being obliterated from play.

"I activate the Trap, Clean Barrier Clear Force! This card clears your monster of its power-ups, and restores its original Attack Points, reducing the damage I take!"

The electrical shot from the dragon's mouth loses a bit of power, but still comes crashing against Utopia Ray and myself. Struggling against the impact, I call out,

"This, is one duel you will never win, Number Hunter! No matter what attack you throw, I will block you-Agh!"

Even so, I would be thrown onto my back hard, as my Life Points fell even lower...  
I could feel my body begin to fade from existence once again, as Kite jeers,

"You're still in this duel, but not for long with only 400 Life Points! One more attack and you're finished, and your Numbers will finally be mine!"

...I looked up to the skies of this realm with weakened irises...and whisper Athena's name...

A short moment passes, before I gather enough strength to lift myself up again, despite the inevitable end closing in.

 _I am almost out of Life Points...and out of time._

...My heart became overwhelmed with the thoughts of vanishing from this world...and leaving her.

 _Farewell, Athena...I am, glad to have known you._

Apparently, the emotion was so consuming, that, I was tearing up, as evident by the drop of water that fell from my left eye...!

"Uh...! What is, happening...?!"

Athena's POV

Once I was inside this high-tech lab with a giant supercomputer in the middle, I quickly narrowed down where my pendant was being held, that being this large crystallized containment in the dead-center.

"The key...Astral..."

I wasted no more time and began rushing over to the supercomputer, thinking to myself a bit frantically,

 _Please be alright, please be alright...!_

Once I was up in front of it, I called out for my friend again...just as my pendant suddenly released a strong golden glow, which read to me as a cry for assistance.

 _The duel must still be going on..._

"Astral, can you hear me? I'm here! Astraaal!"

The key responded to my shouts by glowing brighter, and broke through the glass container to fly right into my awaiting hand!

"Got it!"

Looking down at the object, I whisper,

"...Are you there, Astral? Please, give me a sign."

(Gleam...Pow)

"Agh!"

I'm blinded by that same glow my deck gave off a little bit ago...before it settles to reveal my presence once again in front of that damned door. Just seeing that demonic image was enough to piss me off:

"Ugh, this is hardly the time! What now?!"

 _"It has come. The time for you to decide!"_

(Cla-CRLANG)

The chains break, and the door began to slowly rumble open...

 _"Enter the door and gain the power that is your destiny..."_

A harsh wind blows from the inside, forcing me to shield my face as the voice added,

 _"But remember: It will only be granted if you sacrifice that which you hold most dear. Are you ready for the challenge?"_

...Once again, that churning of bitterness from being thrown headfirst into something some other force is trying to carve into stone for you rose within me. I defiantly glared up at the open archway and shouted in a no-longer-contained fury,

"No, because I refuse to become a pawn for another's designs! I don't care about power; I don't care about destiny!"

My fists shake as I struggled to steady my emotions...before muttering,

"...The only thing I care about right now, is my friend."

With that, I darted my head up and bellowed out his name:

"AAAASTRAAAAAALLLLL!"

...And by a stroke of luck, he hears me, and calls back in an echo within my mind.

Athena?...Athena, is that you?!

"Yeah, it's me. Thank god, you're still here, Astral...I could sense you were in trouble, and bolted here as fast as I could...Tell me: Are you dueling against Kite right now?"

Yes, Athena...but I fear it is too late for help. My Life Points are running out.

To hear his fighting spirit wavering, only gave me more motivation to find my way to his side.

"No. Nothing's ever too late; just hang in there! I'll be beside you in a heartbeat!"

But I was called to a halt before I could take even one step towards the other side of the door.

Stay there, Athena.

"Uh! Astral..."

This world is very different from yours. I am not sure if it is safe for you here...In any case, this fight is mine alone.

I didn't want him to believe that:

"No! That's bull and we both know it! Listen to me, Astral: You're not alone anymore! You haven't been since you came to me through the key, and still aren't! We stand together, as a pair, as friends, we have eachother's backs..."

Looking down, I add with a mix of a catch in my throat and a gruff undertone,

"...It's paralyzing to be stuck fighting a battle on your own. I know, from too many examples, that, feeling. It's crushing, and threatens to kill...I don't want that for you: I want you to know the feeling of having someone there who will be with you every step of the way! Don't you see? We...We need eachother, Astral!"

...I don't hear a response, and that's when I recall the name of that power I'm 'suppose' to obtain.

"Zexal."

Astral's breath catches, which has me wondering aloud with a curse,

"Damn it...That's the only way we're gonna get this done, isn't it? I gotta go and get this 'Zexal' power, don't I? Criminy, what a load of crap..."

What do you know about Zexal?

"No clue, other than what the door said and what my gut is telling me, which btw, is screaming bad from the latter thanks to...well, you know..."

I couldn't finish my sentence, but Astral caught onto what wasn't said.

Yes, I know: Your experience with power being forced on you does not shine a good light...but Zexal. Zexal is a miraculous power that will save my world.

 _...Save Astral's world?_

 _...Okay, that changes the dynamic some...Even so. Can I, really do this?  
_

I think on it for a minute...before the answer became clear:

 _Yes, I can, because this time...this time, it's my choice!_

"I'll bring Zexal to you, Astral! I promise!"

My feet move forward, until I was sprinting to the end of this perilous stone walkway, adding,

"I will save you, Astral, 'cause you're my friend, and friends always have eachother's backs! We'll carve our place in this world, (jump) togetheeeeerrrrr!"

I dove down into the smoky vortex...where waiting for me was this huge bolt of red energy!

"Aah!"

(POW)

...It all went kind-of too fast to really describe properly, right until I could make out Astral shouting,

"It is my turn! I will now build the Overlay Network with my friend Athena!"

I was then shooting through the air of this...other place, and met with my friend halfway, who was streaming his own blue energy contrasting the red surrounding my own body!

 _Astral?!_

"Two mighty forces will form into one, revealing the power of Zexal! Now, Athena!"

Though some of me was a bit scared, I followed his instruction and called back,

"Let's do it!"

"Go, Zexal Morph!"

(...POW)

No POV

Astral and Athena's energies twirled together, creating an intertwine of red and blue...before it would shoot back down to the surface of the airship in a golden burst of light! Kite exclaims with widened grey irises,

"What's going on?! What is that?!"

...Once the energies settled, we would find ourselves staring at a whole new being:

While Athena became the dominant body, her, and essentially Astral's appearance, had transformed to reflect a female with long, golden hair tipped a true red while also reflecting some of the blue being's hairstyle, her left eye now holding a gold iris like Astral while the other was still red, and she wore a white spandex-like suit plated with red armor on her arms, chest and boots, the left shoulder having some sort of fin design, a similar-material white skirt that reached to just above her knees with armor bordering, and even her dueling equipment went through a change, now a bit bulkier and more warrior-like! She was also wrapped in a flame-like golden aura...

The Number Hunter was struck speechless, while Athena shook off enough of her shock to broadcast a more verbal reaction.

"Huah?! Aa-aaah! Wha-What happened to me; what is this?!"

Astral would explain in an echo from within her body,

"When two distant souls become one, the power of Zexal is revealed!"

"Th-This...This is Zexal...?"

As the girl tried to wrap her head around this new ability she and her friend unlocked, Kite finally snapped out of it and stuttered,

"W-Wait a minute...that's Athena! Somehow, she got jumbled up with the other one!...Grh, (points forward) but, even combined, you only have 400 Life Points!"

That wasn't Athena's main concern at the moment, as she stared down at herself, feeling her heart rate quicken and vision pulse in and out of blurriness due to the skipping beats of her anxiety.

"Uh...u-uh-uah! H-Hh...!"

 _This energy...w-why does it feel, so familiar, but so, sc-sc-scary?_

 _(Flash)_

 _We see Athena's younger form on top a medical examiner's table, her body jerking in spasmodically amongst the glow of a bright golden light, while her voice melded in and out in pain-mixed raging tones._

 _(Flash)_

"Hn!"

Her currently mismatched red and gold irises dilate with a bit of moisture in regards to a new wave of confusion and paranoia crashing against her mind.

 _I-I don't like this; what's wrong with me?! Why am I so scared?!_

 _Astral...! Astral, I'm freaking out; help...!_

...The ring of inflamed light around her body brightens a little, and Athena felt a sensation similar to a comforting hug wrap around her, physically and mentally.

"Athena...Athena, it is alright. Deep breath..."

"H-hhhh...haaah..."

 _A-Astral..._

"Do not worry about what was seen just now. Remain focused on the present, and let us win this duel, together."

Swallowing a lump in her throat, Athena quietly mutters back,

"R-Right...Okay."

(Glow...)

"Hm?"

Her right hand is suddenly wrapped in a golden sphere of translucent light...

"It all depends on this next card. You must tap into your heart during this draw. Believe in your cards. It is the only way you can pick the one we need right now. Focus, Athena."

"(Nod) Alright, sounds good...W-Will you be with me?"

She could feel Astral smile a little at the meek question before he gently chides,

"Yes, of course. You have nothing to fear, Athena, and neither to I...because we're with one another."

That statement made her smile in return, and with a better confidence rising in her heart, Athena prepares to make their final gamble.

"Alright...here we go! I call upon the power, of Zexal! Please lend me your wisdom and skill, so I may draw the deciding card that will defeat my opponent!...Go, Shining Draw!"

(Swipe)

"Appear, Zexal Weapon, Unicorn Spear!"

A flashing beam mimicking sunlight shoots from the card she drew, before it opens within the skies to reveal a winged, horned horse of white to come galloping downward to the battlefield!

"With Utopia Ray now equipped with Unicorn Spear, we'll be taking the chariot ride down the road to victory!"

Said number tosses up one of his swords to meld with the anthropomorphic weapon, before it's seen held overtop his head with both hands.

"Another 1900 Attack Points for him, makes Utopia Ray more powerful than your Galaxy-Eyes!"

Kite's eyes widen as he watches his opponent's monster's strength rise to 4400...yet he refused to admit the turn of disadvantage.

"You still can't defeat me!" Astral would beg to differ:

"When Utopia Ray is equipped with Unicorn Spear, it negates your monster's ability to leave the field. There will be no escape for your Galaxy-Eyes!"

Athena made the final call:

"Goooo, Utopia Ray! Take Galaxy-Eyes out!...Unicorn Strike!"

On that note, the Number releases the power of his weapon, the spear's shot of ringed energies colliding hard with the opposing dragon, destroying it in a cluster of pixels...!

...Even so, their wielder had one last gamble of his own:

"I play Photon Shock! The power of this Trap activates when you destroy one of my Photon monsters...As a result, we both take the same amount of damage."

The card explodes, sending two waves of impact to hit the duelists hard enough to go flying to the ground in a slide...!

...And with no decidable Winner or Loser, this duel would be declared a Draw...

Rising to her feet a bit shaky-like, Athena huffs out,

"...A tie, huh? (Grim smile) Heh, I'll take it...This means you can't steal away my Numbers or my soul, Kite...Can't imagine how embarrassin' this must be: Whole lot'a madness for squat."

The Number Hunter remains silent as he too rose upright again...  
Forming a more serious expression, the girl then asks,

"Kite...why are you doing this, man? I know it can't be for any good reasons if it's makin' you this cold...Does it, have to do with that boy...Hart?"

The older teen stiffens...before asking in a narrowed and hollowed tone,

"...How do you know my little brother?"

The fragmented memory of her brief encounter with the young boy's face flashes before her mind...before Athena replies while looking down,

"...That's something I'm still trying to piece together myself...but, your brother. He was, in there one day, about two years ago, during my captivity with those-mph, _horrible_ excuses for human beings that dared call themselves scientists."

"So those medical records are accurate, then."

"Hmph, had a feeling it was you who hacked the city hospital database...but, yeah."

Looking up so her mismatched irises were locking onto his grey, Athena then asks Kite,

"Anyway, you're collecting the Numbers because you believe they're going to help your younger brother in some way, right? Who or what drove you to that conclusion, Kite? Are you acting alone, or, (narrows eyes) is some other figure forcing you to? If so, tell me who, and...(softens expression) maybe, I can help you."

The blond was momentarily stupefied by the other's willingness to offer, another possible way out of his current dilemma...But would quickly shake it off and turn to the side with an indifferent frown masking his true emotions...while also releasing a certain orb of light from his palm.

"Shark can have this back..."

The soul belonging to the boy with cerulean irises traveled upward and out of the realm of the pendant key...before eventually returning to their proper place within the boy's body, restoring the colours of his youth and stirring him awake.

"Mm-muh...uh."

"Finally awake, huh?"

Shark turns his head to find a gently-smiling Mister Kay sitting on a stool by his designated bed in the hospital, and slowly rose to a sitting position while asking in a somewhat groggy tone,

"What's going on?"

"You were asleep for a long time, Shark...but I think Athena just woke you up."

...The boy turns his eyes to the above view of Heartland's streets, mumbling the girl of subject's name under his breath...Returning to where she was currently, Kite suddenly added after relinquishing Shark's soul,

"And as for what you just proposed to me...I decline."

"What? But, Kite-"

"I'm already too far in, Athena! I can't...just turn away from this path, not without, putting Hart at risk..."

Athena could hear the desperation behind the male's angered tone, making her heart beat with empathy...She then grits out a sigh and says in a partially-hardened tone,

"...So that's it? We're just, gonna remain enemies?...Kite, I know what it's like to be manipulated by bad people, and...I also know it's never too late to walk away, even with the risks that come...I'm not askin' you to change your mind right now, but, just know...we don't have to be on opposite sides."

"Hm?"

"When you're ready to ditch whoever's yanking yours and Hart's chains...call me, and I'll work with you for however long it takes, to meet something that benefits both our goals. Our true goals."

Kite was both taken aback and slightly confused by the girl's secondary offer.

"What?"

"You can't lie to me, Kite. I can see it in your eyes: You don't, wanna really dole out hurt to Astral and his homeworld...That's someone else's agenda, whoever they are, and yours is only concerned with your little brother's health. Am I right or wrong?"

...The grounds fell silent to Athena's words, neither side having anything more to say...

Meanwhile, back out in the real world, the warehouse acting as Kite's secret base was falling further under siege to another wave of Mister Kay's Crashbug Virus, which Orbital Seven would be unable to stop.

"Tha-That virus is melting down our systems, and now I'm having a meltdown too!"

The pressures get to him, and he faints in a sputtering spark of electricity...The rest of our teen group, on the other hand, were relatively more calm in comparison, meeting back in the main hall of Sector Three once the robot guards were forced into a shutdown by the main system overload.

"Hah, hah, everybody alright?"

The other four nod to Jamal, before Flip notes with a chagrin,

"Uh-heh, guess Mister Kay's virus did too good a job, huh?"

"No kidding. We better run for it now while we can."

Tiffany wasn't so quick to agree with Caden's suggestion, remembering two other people who haven't met up with them yet.

"But, wait: What about Addy, and Astral?"

Jamal exclaims firmly while grabbing her hand to lead along out of the building,

"Athena and Astral will make it outta here! I know they will, but we can't stand around waiting! Come on!"

Knowing the boy with dreadlocks was right, the girl with cornflower blue irises nodded reluctantly and stepped up her pace with everyone else to evacuate the premises...but not without calling for the other two.

"Athena...Astral...Ruuuuuuunnnn!"

Her outcry bounced off the walls in an echo that somehow reached the distant key, as well as the tremors of the building's eminent destruction, causing Athena to dart her head upward in worry.

"Guh! Tiff!...Oh god, what's goin' on out there?!"

(...BOOM, CRASH, rumble...)

The system mainframe collapses, and the warehouse explodes into pieces just as the five teens barely rush out the entrance door, turning to watch with disbelief as the entire structure fell apart into a ginormous, smoking pile of metal and concrete.

"Ah!" "Uh...!" "No!"

"Addy! Astral!"

"Athenaaaaaa!"

...No signs of the red-eyed teen's existence reveal themselves, leading the quintet to believe...she and the celestial being perished, possibly with the Number Hunter as well...Caden would be the first to drop to the ground from the weight of the probable tragedy, Flip falling after him to hold the other upright while fighting tears of his own. Caswell and Jamal remained upright with shell-shocked expressions...while Tiffany...she quickly followed the feline-fanatic's example, her hands shooting up to her face to contain the sobs beginning to expel from her throat at the thought of one of her best friends, gone.

"A...A-the-n-na..."

 _No...Please, don't let this be real. Athena...Astral...Please, god, don't let them be-!_

(...Rattle)

"(Sniff) H-Huh?"

She lifts her tear-stained from her palms to the sound of shifting concrete...and shoving their way out of the rubble, was Athena!

"Haaah!"

"...Athena?"

A big smile of relief spreads onto the girl with bobbed black hair's face, followed by the others shortly afterward, as their eyes drank in the sight of their friend's body emerging from the warehouse destruction pile, battered and bruised with some tearing and scuffing in her modified school uniform, but was otherwise okay.

"Hah, hah...hey. You guys okay?"

"N-Never mind us!"

"Addy!" "Oh thank goodness!"

"Are you okay, Addy?!" "What about Astral? Is he safe?"

Holding up her hands briefly in a 'calm down' gesture, Athena moves to carefully climb down the pile of rubble, taking Jamal and Caswell's assisting hands a step before meeting the pavement again.

"Other than some cuts and bruises, I'm fine, and, Astral's okay too..."

Looking up slightly to the left of her person to meet the eyes of the blue-skinned being (they no longer bonded into one under the mysterious Zexal power), she adds a touch softly,

"We're just glad, it's all over for tonight. Right?"

He nods in agreement, just as the girl suddenly feels her legs give out and began falling downward.

"Sonovabitch!"

Jamal and Caswell quickly catch her while the other four persons of the group hover closer in worry for the girl...who lets out a small laugh and says with an embarrassed smile,

"Okay, scratch that, I'm a bit less than fine...I-eh, might need some human crutches to get me home."

That brought a collective sigh of light exasperation to emit from the other six, yet they still had their own form of a smile on their faces over the fact that everything worked out in the end of this latest escapade...

"This isn't over, Athena!"

"Rh!"

Eyes then turn to the very top of the destroyed warehouse, to where the silhouette of Kite stood, he too alive, looking downward at one specific girl with a glare that spoke of more than what was on the surface...

Athena would call back his name in a weary and wary tone, her own expression unreadable, before the Number Hunter would take to the skies with Orbital's glider form, leaving the group of seven to watch his form disappear into the starry night, uncertainty dominating the tense airs of the city pier...


	25. Triad Sunrise on the Dueling War Ahead

...

...

It's been roughly an hour or two after the events at the private warehouse set by the city pier came to a literal explosive end, and we find our eyes staring within the top floor of Heartland Tower, as Kite stood by his younger brother Hart's bed, watching the little bluenette sleeping as his mind went over what happened not too long ago.

 _...Little brother. There's been a complication._

 _A kid named Athena has partnered up with the envoy from Astral World. Like me, they've been gathering Numbers..._

 _And the girl...I now know about the connection you and she share._

 _(Flash)_

 _"...He was, in there one day, about two years ago, during my captivity with those-mph, horrible excuses for human beings that dared call themselves scientists."_

 _(Flash)_

 _...She, also offered to help us...Somehow, she saw through me, and into the problem you and I are caught within._

 _(Flash)_

 _"...So that's it? We're just, gonna remain enemies?...Kite, I know what it's like to be manipulated by bad people, and...I also know it's never too late to walk away, even with the risks that come...I'm not asking you to change your mind right now, but, just know...we don't have to be on opposite sides."_

 _"Hm?"_

 _"When you're ready to ditch whoever's yanking yours and Hart's chains...call me, and I'll work with you for however long it takes, to meet something that benefits both our goals. Our true goals."_

 _Kite was both taken aback and slightly confused by the girl's secondary offer._

 _"What?"_

 _"You can't lie to me, Kite. I can see it in your eyes: You don't, wanna really dole out hurt to Astral and his homeworld...That's someone else's agenda, whoever they are, and yours is only concerned with your little brother's health. Am I right or wrong?"_

 _(Flash)_

Shaking his head slightly, Kite thinks to himself with a frown that bordered close to regretful,

 _But I turned away...because even she can't help us..._

 _..._

 _...At least, not at the present._

Time Skip

It's now somewhere past six in the morning, and we zoom into the Fujina family residence just as Athena comes walking fast down the stairs to start her early bird routine, dressed in her red/black halter top and leggings with matching runners, her hair tied back into a very long black braid tipped copper red, and her dark grey, black-outlined school backpack slung over her shoulder.

"Crap, should've woken up a bit sooner than this...Guess I'll be doin' a shorter morning run today..."

Just as she turns to head to the kitchen, her brother Terry, who was sitting on the couch watching the morning news, calls her to a stop.

"Hold up for a sec, little sis."

Biting back an annoyed groan, she asks hurriedly,

"What is it? I'm wastin' enough time as it is."

"It's about last night: That copy of your uniform you tossed into the laundry was almost torn beyond simple repair, and carried the kind of smell you'd get from using a smoker on salmon."

Athena stiffens slightly, and her older brother with the asymmetrical copper red hair points a thumb to the television before adding in a suspecting tone,

"And this morning's main report is about a blown-up warehouse in the pier district...You weren't near the area at the time, were you?"

The girl with red irises decided on not giving away the full story, but also avoided wording the details in such a way that they sounded like an obvious lie.

"Uh, well, my friends and I might've walked by the area after it blew to smithereens, but we didn't go too close...Maybe my clothes absorbed some of the smoke?"

She began walking into the kitchen to quickly grab her lunch and a small to-go snack for her breakfast as Terry replies with a skeptical brow raised,

"Hmm...doesn't explain the tears in your uniform...But anyway, the investigators are saying the warehouse exploded 'cause of an electrical fire, but I know that kind of damage isn't so simply-achieved. Since Heartland Enterprises owned that building, I'm thinkin' there's some sort-a cover-up."

Speeding past the living room with a few mochi squares in her hands, Athena quickly calls back as she scrambles to open the front door,

"Eh, sounds suspicious, believe me, but I don't got the time to toss theories around right now; I gotta head to school; see ya, Ter!"

(Ka-chank, ka-clank)

"Uuh...Addy?"

Soon the girl was jogging along a shorter path that would lead to the Heartland Dueling Academy, passing a few LitterBots as she scarfed down the last of her snack, before wiping her mouth with the back of her hand while muttering,

"Man, I hate it when I get wired at night. Screwin' up my internal clock..."

Her pendant emits a glowing flash, before Astral materializes beside her form, commenting,

"Your brother is quite intuitive."

"Hah, hah, is he?"

"Yes, and I have a feeling he will eventually find out what you are involved in."

Pausing at the end of a quiet intersection that opened into the deeper city streets, Athena replies,

"Yeah well, I say let him wrack his brain...The only thing that matters to me right now, is that my key is back in my hands, Shark's soul has been restored to his body, and...that you're safe and sound again."

Astral's lips twitched up a smile to match Athena's for a short moment, before he looks forward with a more neutral frown as he thought about the events of last night.

"I must admit, I am still a bit shaken. The fact that Kite has the power to enter your key is most concerning..."

"Tch, honestly, I think he just got lucky in finding his way in...but I'll admit it, Kite really knows how to surprise."

Holding a hand to the back of her head, the girl with red irises thinks aloud with her own frown of mild frustration,

"As much as I feel like I'm starting to, get an idea to who he is and what his motives are, at the same time, those answers are being held out of my reach...One thing is definitely clear, though: Kite isn't doing what he's doing on his own volition."

"So you believe there's another individual, 'behind the scenes' as it were?...Is that why you offered to, help him?"

Moving her feet into the next length of her jog to the Academy, Athena says to Astral with a sigh,

"I know what you're probably thinking, that I'm crazy to hold out a helping hand to our apparent enemy...But, Astral, you saw it in his eyes and heard it in his voice: He doesn't necessarily want to be against us. He just, feels like there's no other way...He's afraid of turning his back on whoever he's working with to gather the Number Cards, not just for his own livelihood, but, his younger brother's too."

"Hm, yes, I know...It may also be that motivation in part, that is preventing him from falling under the influence of the Numbers."

The celestial being goes on as he summarizes what he and the girl had witnessed to this point regarding their duels for his memories.

"Up until now, the duelists we have faced who were using Number Cards were being controlled by the cards. The Number Cards had taken them over, and were making them act strangely, or against their wills...But that does not seem to be the case with Kite: He seems to be perfectly in control. It is very possible that Kite may be in possession of a power, that is not of this world."

That caused Athena to stop for a moment by the riverside to look at Astral with a surprised expression.

"Whoa, you think? What sort of power?"

"I do not know...but his Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon he uses. The light that lives inside that monster triggers a strange feeling inside of me. It makes wonder if the dragon, comes from another world..."

"Hm, well given what we've seen this last while, I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case...What's really puzzling me is how Kite came to the conclusion that your memories are suppose to help Hart. Something in my gut's telling me someone fed him false information."

"And you may be correct in that feeling. Perhaps they cannot save him. Perhaps this is about stopping me."

Red irises would widen and dilate in concern:

"Wh-What? Stopping you? Why?"

"Suppose that upon regaining my memories, I will discover something that threatens this hidden figure's plans. We do not know what situation Kite's younger brother is in."

"That's, not entirely true..."

It was Astral's turn to widen his mismatched gold/white irises in surprise, as Athena alliterates while looking towards the strip of blue,

"I've still yet to fully put together this piece, but...Hart was there in that place I was taken to more than two years ago for a reason, maybe related to his health. He looked, fairly fragile in physical terms...Still, I know that place only offered the worst kind of help imaginable, so, I'm hoping he didn't stay there long enough to become... _a fellow victim_."

"Athena..."

"The strange thing is, Kite wasn't there during that time, or least, I don't feel like he was, so someone else must have brought his little brother to the secret base...But getting back on point, whether Hart did ditch those freaks or not, obviously another party made an offer to help him and Kite that sounded pleasing enough on the surface, but the deal must've turned against them in some shape or form, and now both brothers are caught in a trap with virtually no way out."

Astral concludes,

"Which means that collecting my memories, is but a farce to their own agenda in saving Hart from his unknown health condition."

Athena continued on with her journey to school while replying to her friend floating alongside her,

"Exactly...I'm praying that Kite will eventually swallow his pride and contact me so we can meet up for a civilized discussion, find out just how bad things have gotten for him and Hart, and figure out a way to protect his little brother from these dangerous people they got duped into working for...I don't know if we could reach a part where he'd willingly give us the Number Cards he's collected, but, at the very least, it'd be good to have him on the same side."

"I see...You have a higher hope than I do, then."

"Eh, what can I say? I hate seeing people being manipulated for another's personal gain...since I know from my own experience how it feels, and lemme tell ya, it's a sucky kind of guilt that will eat away at you like acid...Hm?"

The girl briefly looks up towards the sky upon noticing a slight growth in shadow to light, and saw some some dark-looking clouds rolling in over the sun.

"Aw man, that wasn't suppose to be a part of the morning forecast. Damn news, never gets it right...Better step it up incase those clouds open up for rain."

She starts running a little faster, while Astral glances up at the clouds with uncertainty traced in his features, before moving to catch up with her...Soon, they arrived at the entrance courtyard of the Dueling Academy about five minutes close to the first bell, just as Tiffany comes racing in on her own two feet fully-dressed in her school uniform.

"Hey, Tiff, good morning!"

"It'd be good if we weren't running behind! Come on, we need to get you to the girl's bathroom and into your uniform!"

...Four minutes later, Athena emerges from the bathroom dressed for class, grumbling to herself while tugging down the hem of the pink material she was forced to wear on her hips for today.

"Dammit, I can't believe those pants were my last clean pair. Now I'm stuck wearing the stupid girl's skirt..."

Tiffany chides with a smile,

"You can complain more later at lunch, now come on, we need to-"

(Ding, dong, ding, dong...)

"Crap!"

Athena covers her mouth with a fist to stifle a snicker from her friend's exclaim, joking,

"Heh, you finally said crap...Wish this moment was during a lighter time, though. I swear the school board's making the start time more early each year..."

"Hmph!...You know, part of this is your fault, Addy."

She gives the other girl an exaggerated incredulous smile and asks,

"Really~? How is that even remotely possible?"

"Do you not recall last night? The warehouse exploding into a scrap heap after that duel with Kite? I was still shaking like a leaf after I got home 'cause I was worried over you!"

That wiped the upturn of lip from Athena's face, and she mutter's Tiffany's name with some guilt on her face...

"I nearly slept through my alarm thanks to you, not to mention had to barely dodge Dad's cop badgering...And when I say you, I really mean both of you. Astral was on my worry list too."

The girl with cornflower blue irises darts her head to the 'empty' space on her visible friend's left and says with a scolding expression,

"I hope you heard that, Astral. Thanks alot for making me paranoid half the night over you too!"

Athena widens her eyes slightly as she thinks to herself with an impressed air,

 _Wow, Tiff actually found Astral's hover spot that time..._

"...Haaaah, it'll be a miracle that I don't get detention."

"Hey, take it easy, girl. We'll figure something out."

Letting out a more silent breath of air, Tiffany nods at Athena before glancing over in Astral's general direction again to say more calmly,

"But my nagging aside...I'm really glad you're alright, Astral."

Though the girl with black bobbed hair would not be able to see it, the celestial being smiled slightly at her care...

"Addy! Tiff!" "And Astral, if you're out here right now!"

Three sets of eyes turn to one of the staircases leading up to this raised section of the courtyard, and we see Jamal and Caswell rushing up to meet with the trio, moving to stand on either side of Tiffany. Athena greets them first:

"Hey, boys. Welcome to the tarty club."

Jamal comments with a tired smile,

"Geez, last night was really somethin' crazy. I barely got an hour and a half of sleep 'cause I was so wound up, and Mom nearly stopped me from goin' to school 'cause I looked like a walking zombie. Her words, not mine."

Caswell chimes in,

"I had trouble sleeping too, but in the end, I'm glad we were able to be there for you, and for Astral too."

Athena nods and replies sincerely,

"I really appreciated you guys all helping me last night, and sorry that it left you with lack of rest."

"Your welcome, and don't worry about."

"Whah!"

She jumps a little to the sound of a familiar male voice that leaned toward the quiet, shy type, and turns around to see Caden's smiling face on her right.

"Oh, Caden...Sheesh, you're almost too good at the 'sneaking behind people thing'."

"Yeah. That's what happens when you keep to yourself for too long."

"Right."

The last to arrive would be Flip, and he walked over casually with a sneaky smile on his face.

"He-ey, guys!"

"Hey, Flip!" "Flip!" "Morning."

"I'm surprised any of you actually showed up today and aren't home sleeping off last night."

Tiffany's eyes narrowed slightly in suspicion to the tone the shorter male used.

"Why do you say that?"

"Weeell, I might've just talked our principal into letting all six of us have a therapy day, after telling him about 'witnessing' the 'mysterious explosion' down at the pier last night while walkin' the city streets, and us becoming so freaked we couldn't sleep. Totally bought it after seeing how haggard I looked."

"What?!" "No way...!" "You didn't...!"

(Ding, dong, ding, dong...)

The second bell signalling the start of first class goes off...and the six academy students look to one another with partially cheeky or nervously-cheery smiles, Athena commenting,

"Heh, well, technically it's not a full lie: Looking closely, we all got hinted features of someone with a hangover."

That brought a spout of light laughter from everyone else, while Astral tilted his head to the side in confusion from the description.

"Hangover?"

"Remember when I explained being drunk? Hangover's the aftereffect, which usually involves a major headache, least according to my brothers..."

"Ah..."

Nodding slightly at the clarity forming on the celestial being's face, Athena then proposes to the group as a whole,

"So, since Flip just granted us a free day, what say we all head to the Axel Cafe?"

"Sure." "Alright." "Sounds good!"

With that, the several persons began making their way off the school grounds, if a touch reluctantly on Caswell and Tiffany's parts.

"Um, are we absolutely sure this is okay?"

"Yeah, especially since most of our folks don't know about this 'change of plans'..."

Flip waves their worries off with a casual hand and chides,

"It'll be fine, you guys. I gave a pretty convincing performance in my cover, and they don't usually call up the residences anyway once somebody says something."

Athena agreed, adding,

"I have a feeling Mister Kay's not gonna be expecting us in class today anyway..."

"Well, alright..."

"I dunno if I like this, but I'll trust your judgements."

The bespectacled boy chimes,

"That's the spirit," and slaps Caswell's back with a laugh, accidentally sending the other forward!

"Waaah!"

The boy with bowl-cut hair trips on a trajectory course for Athena...but she would feel no impact...when time suddenly comes to a screeching halt!

"(...Opens eyes) Huh? Uah! What the-?!"

...But there was something different about this version of time manipulation, as evident by the sparkling orbs of red, blue and gold yellow floating in the atmosphere...Darting her red irises away from her fellow classmates currently on the frozen end of the freeze dance game, Athena looks over at Astral to make sure he was still moving with her.

"Astral?...Oh good, you're able to move too...Is this, what I think is happening?"

"Yes. It would seem time has stopped."

"But...this isn't Kite's doing, is it?"

"No... _This is something else._ "

This was certainly true, for if this was the work of the Number Hunter with the troubled-morale, then this strange phenomenon would not be affecting the entire city of Heartland (and quite possibly the rest of the globe; who knows?)...

However, Athena and Astral would not be the only ones able to move freely in this 'time-be-damned' realm. Moving to the inside of one of the Heartland Tower rooms, we find Mister Heartland speaking with his scheming partner to find out what was causing this.

"Doctor Faker, what is going on?!"

 _"Two electromagnetic surges, one from Astral World, and one from another world, have collided right on top of Earth. Because of the energy in that collision, time has temporarily stopped."_

The male with green hair and showy-designed glasses found it hard for his mind to grasp such an improbable concept.

"How can time just stop?"

Doctor Faker shrugs it off as if they were talking about the weather.

 _"These things happen, Heartland. In a matter of hours, the collisional aftershocks will wear off, and everything will return to normal. (Narrows eyes) But there can be no mistake, that the two worlds are drawing closer to one another. We're running out of time. We must stop Astral World!"_

...We turn back now to the area just out front of the Heartland Dueling Academy, as Astral spots yet another odd detail to add to this phenomenon.

"Athena, look!"

She follows his gaze to the sky...and her jaw would drop in disbelief at the sight of not one, not two, but three suns shining down from the dark cloudy sky!

"What the hell?! Since when does Earth sit near three suns?!"

Shielding her eyes from the glaring light of those larger than life stars, she mutters,

"I know one of them is a part of this galaxy, but the other two...they look like they're from elsewhere..."

 _And, their hues...they look so familiar..._

Astral would voice similarly in bated breath:

"I know one of those suns...I believe it shines on my world...!"

"Whoa, really?...Ooh, right, I remember from my visions: Your world has the same blue as that sun!...Which means...the third one..."

 _(Flash)_

 _The deformed red beast looming near Athena's form during the destruction of the secret lab base she was forcibly taken to..._

 _(Flash)_

 _The comet-like blasts colliding with Astral World..._

 _(Flash)_

"It's gotta be from the place that's been antagonizing your world for...well I dunno how long exactly, but long enough for it to be a huge problem."

The celestial being from said other galaxy nods absentmindedly...before drawing in a sharp breath when he senses something else amiss...At the same time, we find yet another lucky pair able to run around the 'frozen' city freely, or rather, glide through the air.

"I hope you're right about this, Orbital Seven. This could prove most useful."

Kite lands down in the middle of the Monorail Central Station Square, and as Orbital shifts into his regular form, the former asks,

"Now you're sure this is where they met?"

"I am! Every action they-they've taken leaves a footprint on the fabric of t-time and space. With this unexpected phenomenon occurring, we-we can now see those footprints."

The blond looks forward and activates his duel gazer tattoo while the orbital unit went on.

"The-Their journey together started right here: Athena was dueling the young human male, Shark..."

Flashback

 _Returning to the first duel that started it all, we come back to somewhere near the end of the first half..._

 _"You fool. Did you really think you could beat me, the best of the best and win Jamal's deck back?"_

 _Athena looks down at her broken pendant with a frown of frustration and her forehead dripping a bead of sweat, gripping it tight like it was a stress ball._

 ** _That was the plan, but I guess the universe wants a different outcome._**

 ** _What the hell am I gonna do now?_**

 _"Face it, Athena: I stomped your little key to pieces, and now, I'm gonna stomp you!"_

 _Of course, we recall that the girl with fiery red irises wasn't one to take an insult lying down._

 _"Don't talk to me about fighting the impossible! No matter how many times I crash and burn, I always get back on my feet to run for tomorrow. That's what it means to make your history: Never give up, block out the haters and push past your limits to leave your mark on the world! And speaking of marking my place..."_

 _She rips off her pendant:_

 _"That's what I'm doing now!"_

 _(...Sheen)_

 _"Uh?"_

 _Flashing through the moments of Astral entering the realm of Earth through the demonic door, Athena returning to reality shortly after the Number Cards disperse, one quickly finding residence in Shark before being summoned to the field as Leviathan Dragon (Number 17) and attacking their opponent hard, we revisit the first time Astral spoke to the girl as she second-guesses her chances of a comeback._

 _"Rise."_

 _"Huh?"_

 _"...Rise up."_

 _"Guh! Who...W-Who the heck are you?"_

 _Fast-forward again to the moment when Utopia makes his first appearance..._

 _"At last, the stage is set."_

 _"(Turn) For wha-Hang on...Gagaga and Gonbara, are Level Four..."_

 _"Look at your deck, Athena."_

 _She pulls out the card:_

 _"Uh! An XYZ Monster...! (Squints eyes) But, I can't read the text; it's too foreign..."_

 _"I can. It's Number 39: Utopia."_

 _It wouldn't be long before Number 39 rose to the occasion as the deciding card for this duel..._

 _"Go, Utopia: Attack Leviathan with Rising Sun Slash!"_

 _And one twin-cut down the middle was all it took for Leviathan Dragon to be destroyed in a mass cluster of pixels, which continued trajectory through the ground straight for Shark, he thrown back to the tune of his outcry and the final drop to zero Life Points!_

End of Flashback

(PULSE)

"Aaaaauh! Aaaa-aaurrrhhh!..."

This access to the pathways of that certain duo would not bode very well for the celestial being, his mind receiving one of those type of migraines that makes you feel like someone's taking a jackhammer to your skull cavity! Athena became quite worried as Astral lets out a few cries and grips the sides of his head with a pained expression.

"Astral! Astral, what's wrong?!"

"M-My head! I have never felt like this before! Rgh! Someone, is trying to get into my head, and access my memories!"

"What?! No way!"

Shaking off some of the throbbing headache, Astral says with a wince in his tone,

"Athena, we need to revisit the places we have dueled."

Sensing how serious he sounded, Athena nodded with concern dilating in her red irises and a firmed frown, before scrambling to follow after her friend as he floated ahead of her en route to where the 'mystery' intruder of Astral's memories was going next...

In which case, Kite would be riding aboard the motorcycle-formed Orbital near the second site representing 'Number Landmarks'.

"Echoes of another duel are coming from inside that tower..."

 _(Flash)_

 _That tower was noneother than the same one under construction where the events surrounding the original Crashbug Virus occurred..._

 _"You've set me up for a perfect victory! I overlay Crashbug X, Y and Z! With these three monsters, I build the Overlay Network!"_

 _"...Here comes Number 34: Terrorbyte!"_

 _But as we recall, Athena prevailed once she and Astral found a way to work with one another more fluidly and summoned out both of the Numbers they had at the time._

 _"You're up first, Leviathan: Attack Terrorbyte with Shock-Stream Blast!"_

 _The dragon would obliterate the data-chip rinocer-oid in one shot, leaving Mister Kay to cringe back against the electrical tide while his Life Points dropped to 2000...But that was only part one:_

 _"Alright, Utopia, finish this off: Attack him directly with Rising Sun Slash!"_

 _(SLASH)_

 _"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaagggghhhhhhhh!"_

 _The math teacher meets defeat, his Life Points gone in one swing from the Number's golden blade...!_

 _(Flash)_

We draw this window into the past closed just as Astral comes to stop near the entrance to the monorail station square, with Athena rushing to meet his side shortly afterward.

"Hah, hah, good lord, you're fast when you wanna be, Astral...Wait, since when have you been able to make off without me? Usually I'm the one having to take the lead, not that there was much of a choice in it for either of us..."

"It must be because of this cosmic occurrence that I am now able to move away from you."

"...I see. (Looks around) And what exactly are we searching for?"

The celestial being corrects the human girl:

"You mean...what is he searching for."

He then made a new course out of the area, forcing Athena to make chase again.

"Whoa, hey!"

 _Hang on...He?...Uh! Kite!_

...The next place the pair would stop at was the courtyard area of the city mall, which the girl with red irises would recognize from her third duel involving Numbers.

"Here...This is where I dueled against Flip. I'd say we, but..."

 _(Flash)_

 _Astral's kneeling body encased in that capsule of deep blue energy with light rings dancing around it..._

 _(Flash)_

"You were kind-of, unable to participate..."

"Correct. He was able to cease our Numbers, and as a result, my connection to you was severed. It became up to you to win the duel."

"Right. You coaxed me into summoning Baby Tiragon and ultimately protect him long enough that I was able to bring out Stinging Swordsman, using both their abilities to turn karma against Flip."

Athena then clenched her teeth a little as she remembers aloud,

"And that duel, opened up alot more than I expected it would...It acted as the first trigger, for the memories of my kidnapping to start returning. It, wasn't much compared to now...but it was enough to make my heart feel as if it was submerged in ice water."

...Moving along and away from the mall, we find ourselves in the seaport area of the city near the studio building where production of the ESPer Star Sparrow  
fantasy sci-fi series took place, the next stop in Kite's tour of the 'footprints' left behind from Athena and Astral's duels for Numbers.

"Knowing who Astral and Athena are will help me defeat them...I wonder what details this sound stage will reveal?"

Flashback

 _Rewinding time, we return to when the girl had confronted Nelson about his recent actions as a vigilante superhero..._

 _"...He's completely lost in the identity that's The Sparrow."_

 _"Athena, I didn't want it to come to this...Alas, if you are with the Dark Emperor, (points at me) then I have no choice but to battle you!"_

 _"(Both) Let's Duel!"_

 _Jumping forward through the first two turns, we highlight the moment Number 83 was brought to the field._

 _"I XYZ Summon! Kneel before Number 83: Galaxy Queen!"_

 _"...I have journeyed through time and space to fight the forces of evil, and restore justice to the galaxies!"_

 _"That so? Well I traveled all the way down here from the Academy to fight the emotions that bind you, and restore your true identity for the world to see. And I have absolutely no intentions of turning back!"_

 _Eventually, Athena would find a way to prevail in this duel thanks to Astral's general knowledge of the character Nelson was portraying._

 _"Hope your ready, 'Sparrow'! This will decide who takes the glory page in today's chapter! Utopia: Attack Galaxy Queen with Rising Sun Slash!"_

 _Her monster brings out their tall, golden blades and prepares to attack, just as her opponent makes his own final move._

 _"Not so fast, Athena: I activate the Trap Card, Star Sparrow Forever!"_

 _"What will that do, counterattack?"_

 _"This card allows me to bring Star Sparrow out of my graveyard with 0 Attack Points, and like he always does, Sparrow jumps in to protect those being attacked!"_

 _On that note, both ESPer Star Sparrows spread their arms in a protective stance for their queen, shocking Athena and Astral, as Utopia continues his trajectory to cut down on that monster instead, destroying him while the actor is thrown back hard in an outcry, his Life Points skydiving to zero!_

End of Flashback

As that battle's memory drew the curtain down, we turn our eyes to the front gates of the Heartland City Museum where Athena and Astral were currently standing by on the sidewalk near a random young couple...

"Athena, do you recall your second duel with Shark?"

A slightly bitter smile forms on the girl's lips as she replies dryly,

"Heh, how can I not? Barely got through more than half the duel before I blacked out from my spiking metabolism...I ignored my body's warning signs, all 'cause I was too hell-bent on saving Shark from becoming like Scorch and Chills...like someone, I was close to becoming another time ago..."

Astral's contrasting gold and white irises would stare at her form for a moment, remembering the details of her full reveal the few days after waking in the hospital regarding her time as an underground street fighter...

 _(Flash)_

 _"Like all highs, mine had an expiration date. Once I made the drop...the next step was cleaning myself up, physically and mentally. I went home, got rid of basically everything that I had gained as 'Beserker', and reclaimed my identity as Athena Fujina. I may have received alot of mental and physical scars...but I take them in as a reminder to never, ever fall that far again."_

 _(Flash)_

"After that, we were passing this area on the night Scorch and Chills were planning on breaking into the museum."

"All thanks to a tip from a certain asshole I'd rather not put a name to right now...It would be my first serious tag duel, (slight smile) and I'm proud to say Shark was an excellent teammate."

Flashback

 _"(All duelists) Let's Duel!"_

 _We jump to the moment the first new Number Card featured in this duel is summoned to attack._

 _"...I summon Number 61: Volcasaurus!"_

 _Scorch would not waste time in releasing the Number's power upon the younger teens._

 _"Say bye-bye to Aero Shark, and say hello to a world of hurt!"_

 _And shortly after she acts as a cushion for her partner, Athena would also feel the wrath of Volcasaurus..._

 _"Your Number Card's as good as ours!"_

 _The older males would soon regret their taunting natures, when the duel is turned around against them after a couple more turns..._

 _"Black Ray Lancer: Attack Volcasaurus!"_

 _Using its spear, the monster takes out the opposing Number in one fell slash, leaving Scorch to cringe as his Life Points drop to 1900..._

 _"Your partner's out of the picture and you've got no monsters to hide behind!"_

 _"It's safe to say that you're gonna get pwned, for by sending Utopia to the Graveyard, Black Ray Lancer's able to swing in one more time to attack you directly!"_

 _"Whah?! No way!"_

 _"Oh yes way! Go, Shimmering Spear Slash!"_

 _One kaboom from the monster's power sends Scorch and Chills flying to the ground, as the former's Life Points fall to zero to join the latter..._

End of Flashback

Exiting from that recollection of events, we find the human/celestial pair walking down a street that led to a main traffic intersection, as the girl adds in an afterthought,

"According to one of Akira's buddies, Scorch and Chills were last seen being chased out of the city just a day afterward with the rest of their boys by some, 'old enemies' he and I share..."

"And by, enemies, you mean members of the Fallen Stars, correct?"

"That's right...One thing you should know about street gangs, Astral, is that they're alot like wolves, real territorial. Nobody likes a nosy busybody...Not to say they can't form a few allies, but the Fallen Stars prefer to operate independently, if with a few business deals on the side."

Stopping by the crosswalk, Athena shifts the topic back on their current objective.

"Anyway, where are we now?...Ah, right: This is where we had our first face-time with Kite."

"Yes, and we would be far from prepared for our second meeting a mere day later."

"Tch, and lousy timing on Kite's part too, snaring me just after I fought off a couple punks with Akira...We gave it our best shot, but even then, he schooled us hard."

Flashback

 _We rejoin the events of said duel just around after Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon powers itself up with Utopia's stolen Overlay Units..._

 _"Alright then, it's my move. Now, Galaxy-Eyes, let her have it: Photon Stream of Destruction!"_

 _The dragon monster charges up, before releasing a torrent of star-like energy to blast against Utopia, who thankfully was able to withstand and remain on the field..._

 _"Even though only a Number can destroy a Number, you're still gonna take damage!"_

 _Athena held her ground, shielding her face with her arm as her Life Points dropped to 2500..._

 _"Next I'm gonna play this, the Spell Card, Photon Wind! And it'll be knocking the wind out of you, because when I deal damage without destroying your monster, you take an additional 1000 points of damage!"_

 _She and Astral would be sent flying to the ground as the former's Life Points dropped even further to 1500..._

 _"And that's not all my Photon Wind lets me do. Now I get to draw a card, and then I'll place one face-down. With that, I end my turn."_

 _Such explanations would be put in the background for the pair on the loser end of this duel, as Astral gazed down at his throbbing skin..._

 _"Astral..."_

 _"As your Life Points diminish, my Life Force does with it."_

 _Kite makes his taunt as he clenches a fist tight:_

 _"I have you right in the palm of my hand. Can you feel the crush of defeat closing in?"_

 _Rising to her feet with only the slightest falter in her step, the girl retorts bravely with a smirk,_

 _"No, but I'm definitely feeling the weight of your ego, so knock it off."_

 _By the end, however, witty comebacks would do little to stop the Number Hunter from calling out what may have been his finisher...But as we know, something else got in the way._

 _"Go, Photon Stream of-Uh-hah!"_

 _"I-Incoming message...M-Master Kite!"_

 _One glance at the projection of his incapacitated younger brother was all Kite needed to see before making a hasty retreat, forgetting about the duel._

 _"We'll finish this later!"_

 _He snaps back the Duel Anchor from Athena's wrist:_

 _"Uh!"_

 _"For now, I must leave!..."_

End of Flashback

"...Luck was definitely on our side that evening when he called off the duel, Hart's too I guess...If the battle continued...it would've been the end of everything for the both of us."

Running a hand over her face, Athena mutters with a cringed sigh,

"I was so angry at the world for the next few days afterward, 'cause it was a hell of alot easier than being a sad little prick...Least that's what I wanna believe, but, teh, who am I foolin'? I was depressed. I just, wanted to make a bigger show of it that time, use anger as a shield...We were both harping on ourselves after that duel..."

Forming a hint of a wry smile, she then recollects,

"But thanks to Gramps, we were sent back on the path to regaining our confidence by way of Master Roku and his lessons on 'moving a monster'. Then I'd put those teachings to the test when Master's former student Kaze came by lookin' for vengeance..."

 _(Flash)_

 _"(Both duelists) Let's Duel!"_

 _"...I XYZ Summon, Number 12: Crimson Shadow Armour Ninja!"_

 _Just as Athena begins to get overly frustrated with Kaze's dark-influenced attitude, Astral steps in to steer her back on course._

 _"Do not let his words anger you to the point of distraction, Athena. Remember that you are not alone: You have got your friends behind you...I understand that when your back is against the wall, you may feel outnumbered...but you are not. When you have friends, you are never alone...You can do it."_

 _"You're absolutely right. As long as I remember where I stand, and who's still with me when the road gets rough, nothing's impossible...Now to put this rising determination to good use, and take this ninja wannabe down!"_

 _Shortly after overlaying her Dododo Warrior and Gagaga Magician to summon her own signature Number, Athena would put him to work taking down the opposing monster._

 _"...Go, Utopia: Attack Crimson Shadow Armour Ninja!"_

 _Once Number 39 'subtracted' 12 from the play the first time, he would easily do so the second and final time after the Revenge Spell activates..._

 _"This can't be! Aaaaaaaaggggghhhhhhh!"_

 _(Flash)_

Athena and Astral were standing on a street corner a good couple blocks away from the old townhouse belonging to a certain trouble-making fortuneteller as the former finishes recalling details of their time at the Duel Sanctuary.

"I definitely didn't expect to be given the sanctuary's Legendary Deck, but I'll forever be grateful to Master Roku for allowing me to take these monsters under my wing so we can grow together. Definitely got a better array of cards around the right time too, (narrows eyes) when that creep Fortuno came after everyone to force me into a duel."

Flashback

 _We turn back to the moment when the said man's first Number makes their appearance._

 _"...I XYZ Summon, Number 16: Shock Master!"_

 _This was the day Astral was able to put a name to the feeling that was eating away at his heart this last while._

 ** _This feeling I have...this trembling in my spirit..._**

 ** _I think I now understand what it means to-...be afraid._**

 _Things became especially emotional when it looked like the celestial being would have to surrender his existence to save the people he had formed connections with._

 _"You have to surrender your Number Card, Athena. In order to save your friends...you have to-"_

 ** _To sacrifice your life without any true care about what exactly you're giving up..._**

 ** _I've been there, and it's sickening to think about, let alone hear it in another's!_**

 _"Athena?"_

 _"Are you out of your mind?! I won't believe; I won't believe this is the only way!"_

 _"There is no other..."_

 _"...My friends. It's a wonder they haven't ditched me yet, the broken girl who barely has her head above water...But, they've stuck by, no matter what. Good days, bad days, at least one of them would be there, ready when I needed them, and ever since I walked away from that other life, I made a vow to always be there for the people who still dare to call me their friend."_

 _"I know. That is why I am saying you should-"_

 _Athena quickly cuts him off while at the point of breaking into hysterics._

 _"You really don't get it, huh?...Astral, I just said I'll always be there for a friend in need, and, (whirls to him) that includes you! You're my friend!"_

 _Once the illusions of Fear were destroyed and Astral was given the better vision of Hope thanks to Athena's acknowledgement as a companion, the power of Chaos XYZ Summoning would be unlocked._

 _"...Athena. Win this."_

 _"Consider it done, my friend..."_

 _We jump forward to just as Utopia returns to their side, and Astral activates his new power.  
_

 _"The path has been made!"_

 _"Wh-Whadda you mean? Path for what?"_

 _"For this: Chaos Number 39!_ _By combining Utopia with its Overlay Units, Utopia can further evolve itself. The time is now, Athena!"_

 _"(Both) Go, Chaos XYZ Evolution! Get ready for Chaos Number 39! I give you, Utopia Ray!"_

 _One major power boost later, the dueling pair would call the deciding blow against Fortuno's second Number Card._

 _"Do it now, Utopia Ray: Attack Big Eye! Rising Sun Chaos Slash!"_

 _The Chaos Number takes out the enemy in three strokes, leaving their wielder to go flying backwards with a yell as his Life Points barrelled to zero._

End of Flashback

Cutting away from they, we focus back on the other pair responsible for the memory access, Kite and Orbital, as they pause in the middle of that certain park plaza that played center stage to a particularly grueling duel for Numbers...

"Our efforts in learning more about Astral and Athena by tracing their memories have led us here. This is the location of their most recent memory dealing with a Number."

Which if we all recall, was certainly one of the toughest yet.

Flashback

 _When Athena's key was whacked off her person thanks to a careless pedestrian, it's absent power would allow Number 96: Black Mist to break free from their seal and cause some havoc, including taking over Astral's being!_

 _"What is happening...?!"_

 _(Bzzzzt)_

 _"Aaah-Rrrrrgh!"_

 _"Astral!"_

 _"...Number 96: It is trying to take control of me!"_

 _Jamal mutters harshly,_

 _"I knew there was something off about that Number," while Athena wondered warily,_

 _"But what does it want with Astral?"_

 _ **"Oh you'll find out my desires soon enough, human..."**_

 _The teens tense to the sound of Black Mist's darkly-chuckling voice echo from the struggling Astral's person..._

 _"You hear that?"_

 _"Yeah...That was definitely not Astral."_

 _ **"What you should be more pressed with is now that the Key is no longer around your neck, I am no longer sealed in my card...which means I am free to take control of your dear friend, Astral."**_

 _Once he had full possession over the blue being and maintained a captive-tight grip on Athena, the shadowy Number would move forward in his agenda.  
_

 _ **"Now onto step two. Acquiring Number 39: Utopia!"**_

 _But, Jamal wasn't about to let Black Mist get away with their schemes.  
_

 _"Yo, tall, dark and so not friendly! If you wanna get your mitts on Utopia, you gotta beat me in a duel!"_

 _Jumping forward into the beginning of the battle, Number 96 would quickly bring himself out in his first turn._

 _ **"...I will then Overlay these three Level Twos, in order to build the Overlay Network, and XYZ Summon! A copy of myself, Number 96: Black Mist!"**_

 _Despite the strength this monster may have had, Athena and Astral were able to form a plan of deception that would ultimately lead Jamal to victory.  
_

 _ **"This, cannot be!"**_

 _"Oh it be. Let this be a lesson to never, mess with the like of us again! Utopia, attack Black Mist with Rising Sun Slash!"_

 _Two slashes later, and the shadow beast monster would explode in a cloud of black smog, leaving Athena to duck and cover from the main force of after impact, while the real enemy was hit full-blast as his Life Points plummeted to zero!_

 _ **"Aaaaaaah! No way...I, I LOST! IMPOSSIBLE!"**_

End of Flashback  


The memory would draw to a close just as the girl with red irises and the blue-skinned being with mismatched gold and white eyes arrive in the area.

"Hah, hah, hah...Okay, here, was where we truly fought Black Mist...and, that's it, or rather, this as far as we've come so far in our search for Numbers."

"That is right...Now, where is...?"

The two look around the park plaza, both feeling that their search for the one skimming through these highlighted dates was close by...Astral would spot Kite first with a gasp in his breath, causing Athena to spin on her heel to follow his gaze upward, locking onto a familiar distant figure standing atop a skyscraper across the street away from their standing point...

"I knew he was the one tracking our memories!"

The second Astral voices such a note...the electromagnetic anomaly finally ended its course on the Earth, and time would continue onward again...Which also meant that Caswell would continue his trajectory to the ground back outside the Heartland Dueling Academy.

"Gu-aaaah-oof!"

Everyone else would rush to his side as Tiffany asks worriedly,

"Caswell, are you alright?"

He replies in an uncharacteristically aggressive tone as he lifts himself from the pavement,

"Grh, I will be after I knock Flip flat!"

The bespectacled boy exclaims defensively,

"Sorry, man; didn't mean to slap your back that hard!"

As Jamal steps between the two to prevent a possible smack-down, Caden notices someone missing from their little friendship circle.

"Hey, hold on...Where's Addy?"

...We check back with said girl in the park plaza area, as she and Astral stare up with frowns at the smirking Kite, who calls down,

"We'll settle things at the World Duel Carnival!"

He then turns around to take flight with Orbital's glider form, and Athena watches him go with a grim smile forming after letting out a small breath.

"...I sure hope we do, Kite, and I'll look forward to dueling you on more neutral ground."

She turns to head out of the area...but would stop dead in her tracks, upon spotting a much more antagonizing and familiar figure in his middle-teens standing at the entrance/exit of the plaza, leaning on a pole casual-like with his lightly-tanned arms folded and a smirk that spelled trouble spread onto his lips. All it took was one look at his short, dark green spiky hair tipped black, and the black hole symbol on his white muscle tank-top, contrasting his ripped black jeans with chains hanging off the right pocket, indigo finger-less gloves matching his boots with white laces...before Athena felt as if she were on death row.

"Uh...!"

 _No...It, can't be...!_

Noticing how rigid her body had become, Astral tries to inquire what the problem was out of concern.

"Athena? Athena, what is wrong?"

"Hello, _Berserker_."

The celestial being darts his head forward upon hearing that address to the girl from the new face in the area, recognizing the title name.

 _That, name...Uh! That boy; is he-!_

Irises the colour of orange-stained dirt lock with red as the punk-dressed male adds in a snide sort of way,

"Long time, no see."

Athena felt anything but mutual, a growl in her tone as her eyes narrowed into slits.

" _Trilos_...What the hell is a lowlife like you doing on this side of the city?"

The addressed forms a feigned pout and begins approaching the other while replying,

"Aw, that hurts: I thought everyone was entitled to goin' where they want whenever they wanted to."

"Yeah, well knowing your track record, you avoid the nicer parts of Heartland if you can help it so you don't have to deal with the cops...You came here for a reason, and I'm willing to bet it has to do with old grudges you're too petty to let go of."

Replacing the fake expression of hurt for a shrewd smirk, Trilos jeers,

"Keh, you'd certainly know about that subject, wouldn't you, Berserker?"

"Stop calling me that! I dumped that poison out more than a year and a half ago, and I won't have you of all people remind me of it!"

"Why not? It's not like you're ever gonna escape the life of a punk. Are you even sure you're in a safe zone now?"

"...What're you talking about?"

Trilos forms a knowing sort of grin that to Athena looked like one of those smiles of a villain from her brother's old comic book collections.

"Don't think for a moment I haven't seen your progress since you deserted me and my boys...Heh, it's kind-a funny and pitiful watching you trying so hard to live life as another duel-crazy teenager, yet every so often..."

He leans his face in a lunging manner towards the girl, making her flinch slightly.

"Mph!"

"You slip up, and that spark ignites, flickering up that ole fighter flame that lights up who you really are for the whole world to see. Even if it lasts for a second or two...it's not dead. _You're still a Fallen Star._ "

Those words were enough to make Athena stumble backwards in an attempt to distance herself from this older teen.

"Gh!...You're wrong. You're insane; I'm nowhere even close to being the girl that used to dominate my being!"

"Mm, true: You have softened since you ditched the club..."

Trilos widens his grin slightly and adds,

"Making you an easier target then you ever were."

"Why are you doing this, Trilos? Why me?"

"Because you were one of my best fighters, and I hate losing something valuable...You know, you don't have to end up like past traitors I've had to, 'erase'. All you gotta do, is swear your loyalty to me again, and we can get you back as the fighting machine you used to be."

Astral, who was helplessly stuck on the sidelines of this scene with no way to actually interfere, widens his eyes at the other male for suggesting such a deal.

 _He would dare-!...Athena. Athena, do not listen; do not consider for even a second what he is offering!_

As if she was able to hear the blue-skinned being's thoughts, the red-eyed girl grinds her teeth before saying to Trilos in a low, icy tone,

" _You, bastard...Do you honestly think I'm so weak that I'll just crawl back into that cesspool?_ Newsflash: I ain't, and never will be! I want nothing to do with you or the rest of the Fallen Stars; you can go to hell for all I give a damn!"

To her surprise, the older teen with dark green hair tipped black lets out a barked laugh.

"Why am I not surprised that'd be your answer?...Alright, fine. You wanna get your grave dug? I can oblige, and to make it even more of a living hell for you, I'll even use this so-called Duelin' Carnival that's coming to the city as the graveyard."

"What?"

"Oh come on, Berserker, don't tell me you forgot? I may not be as avid a player, but I _can_ _duel_...So we'll just do this like what happens at the club: I'll find you and crush your rebel attitude along with your cards in the tournament. And who knows? (Sneer) Maybe I'll even take out a few of your little buddies in the process."

Athena's body was on the brink of shaking from her rising anger:

" _You come near the people I care about_...and I will end you!"

"Heh, you can keep telling yourself that, but I know how this'll end."

(Grasp)

"Uh!"

Trilos then grips the girl's left shoulder hard, dangerously close to the point where bone could break, and jerks her forward to his side to hiss in her ear,

" _You'll be on the ground with your blood pooling, bones broken, and begging me to spare your life...the life I was so close to ending at the pier that year and a half ago. Luck may not have been on my side that day...but it will be soon._ "

He releases her with a harsh shove, and walked passed her out of the area, adding over his shoulder,

"That's a guaranteed promise, Berserker! A promise that I, Janko Trilos, will keep!"

...

...

Once he was gone, Athena felt the strength of her legs give out, and she fell to her knees, prompting Astral to hover down to her side in a worried manner.

"...Athena, are you alright?"

"...That's my name."

"Huh?"

Gripping her palms into fists, the girl with shaggy black hair tipped copper red began muttering to herself in a mantra,

"I, am, Athena. Not, Berserker. Berserker is dead, Athena's alive. I will never, be, Berserker, again..."

 _Trilos, you sonovabitch...If anyone's gonna be taking anybody down, it'll be me, to you!_


	26. World Duel Carnival, Go!

Pale yellows, reds and purples made up the early morning skies, casting a pale glow over the concrete-dominant streets of the city of Heartland...

Standing outside the Fujina Residence as a lone soul awake at this time of day, was Athena, dressed in one of her more casual jogging outfits, consisting of a pair of soft black capri pants, a light grey tank-top that hugged her body to show off her thin figure and subtle muscle tone, and black running shoes with blue laces woven in this round for a splash of colour, highlighting the edges of her white ankle socks.

She was leaning her back against the barrier wall that ran along the front of her home before opening to a staircase, right foot propped up and her left standing near her sky blue backpack with leather outlining, twisting her left index finger around some of her long black hair tipped copper red, sighing in an impatient manner.

"For gods sake, he should be here by now. That guy and I always pass eachother during my runs..."

"Who exactly are you speaking about, Athena?"

She glances over to her right at Astral, replying dryly,

"The mailman. I should be receivin' my entrance stuff for the WDC today in the mail."

"W, D, C?"

"The World Duel Carnival, doigt! It said on the website the day before yesterday that I should be getting my things for the tournament today."

 _Thank god I found the Apply part on it when I got home..._

 _I almost have to thank both Kite...and that bastard Trilos, for reminding me about the Carnival._

(Beep-beep)

"Oh! That should be him now."

Turning our attention to the right, we see a man dressed in a jean blue courier's uniform riding up the small incline on a red Segway, his expression displaying a mundane indifference...

"Yo, delivery dude!"

He pauses his drive in front of Athena's home upon hearing her address, which read in her red irises as an okay to approach to inquire about any deliveries that had her name on them.

"Thanks for stoppin'. Just wanted to ask if there's anything in your run this morning that might be for me. I'm expecting a package of sorts sometime today. My name is Athena Fujina."

"Athena, is it?"

The mailman opens a projection screen that listed his deliveries for today.

"Let's see here...Ah, lucky you: There's a small package addressed to you from Heartland Industries, for some sort of tournament."

"Yeah, yeah! That'll be the WDC!"

Getting off the seat of the Segway, the uniformed male walks over to open the back compartment to pull out a very small parcel wrapped in brown paper with a letter attached.

"Here it is. I'll just get you to sign here...Alright, we're good to go. Have a nice day."

"You too, sir, and thanks!"

With that, the mailman drove away on his mode of transport, leaving Athena to sit on the grassy strip between the sidewalk and blacktop Indian-style while staring at the package and letter now in her hands.

"Huh...I actually expected a bit more than this..."

Her blue-skinned friend comes to float in a mock-sitting position right next to her on her left side, folding his legs sideways, also curious about the contents.

"That is a rather small package...What could be inside, and does the letter provide more instructions?"

"Only one way to find out."

(Rip, rrrip...)

...Both the human and celestial being formed puzzled expressions once the small parcel was torn open, revealing what appeared to be a brass framework shaped like the iconic heart, with a singular piece of a fake magenta ruby clicked in the left corner.

"Huh? What the heck is this?"

"It appears to be an incomplete heart of some like...though I too am confused of its purpose."

"(Shrug) Eh, the letter's probably gonna explain."

Carefully placing the strange object in her lap, Athena then clicks open the letter, unveiling a projection message delivered by noneother than the mayor of this mysterious city.

 _"Congratulations, duelist, and welcome to the World Duel Carnival!..."_

Small Time Skip

Jumping along to the beginning of the apparent school day, we zoom in on a random classroom where the rest of our cast would meet up, starting with Caswell who received a rather animated greeting from Jamal.

"Go~od morning, Cas, otherwise known as my favourite brainiac!"

Nearly choking from the strong arm over his shoulders, the boy with the bowl-cut hair exclaims annoyed and uncomfortable,

"Gah! It was a good morning until you showed up!"

Tiffany and Caden approach the two with amused smiles, the former commenting,

"I see you woke up on a 'greater than the good' side of the bed this morning, Jamal."

"Every side's the best side this mornin', Tiff! And here's why."

The boy with long dreadlocks releases Caswell (much to his relief) to then pull out his duel disk, showing an ad for the dueling tournament that's taken hold of everyone's attention throughout the city.

"Because the WDC's starting, finally!"

Tiffany forms a cheery, close-eyed smile:

"Oh yes, of course!"

"This tourney's gonna be off, the hook, awesome!"

Brushing aside the ruffled greeting with the other boy, Caswell puts in his own two cents on the subject, also happy that the event was finally drawing up its curtain.

"Due in no small part to what the duelist could win: Not only will the winner be immortalized as a champion for all time, but they get a free lifetime pass to Heartland!"

Flip enters the circle of conversation next with his own blurb of the details related to the Carnival.

"And you'll really flip when you hear this part: Mister Heartland himself has promised to grant the winner one wish, and make it come true no matter what it takes!"

The girl with cornflower blue irises chimes,

"Really?"

Flip nods and announces smartly (well, smartly to him),

"I already know what my wish is gonna be. I'm gonna wish for a hundred more wishes; how smart is that?"

...Caswell forms a deadpanned expression and mutters,

"Maybe you should just wish for a less goofy hat," while Caden thought aloud in a wistful manner,

"No matter what, hm?...Maybe I could wish for a date with Addy..."

He sighs dreamily to himself with a purr and a light blush...  
Sweatdropping a bit, Tiffany moves the topic along:

"Uhm, a-anyway, who out of us is competing?"

The short boy with round spectacles replies with a grin,

"Better believe I am! (Holds up an object) See?"

Between his fingertips was the same strange item that Athena got in the mail earlier this morning, though with a different-shaped ruby fragment...

"What is that?"

"It's a Heart Piece. It's watch'ya need to get into the Duel Carnival. I got mine in the mail just this week."

Jamal, Caswell and Caden each pull out their own copies of the labelled Heart Piece.

"Me too!"

"Me three!"

"Don't forget me!"

"Oh wow, so everyone's in this?"

"Yep, including me."

The five teens pivot their heads towards the doorway where the sixth voice came from, seeing Athena, dressed in her modified school uniform, leaning against the wall near the entrance with a casual smirk, holding her own Heart Piece up between her fingers.

"Just got mine delivered this morning."

"Oh, Addy!" "Whoa, like, a few hours ago?!"

"Sheesh, you sure know how to cut it close, girl."

Shrugging it off casually, the girl walks over to the group with Astral trailing behind her, forming a more neutral expression as she then asks,

"So what's this business I hear about the winner being granted any wish? You guys aren't actually buying into that crap, are you?"

Moving so that all six academy students were sitting around some desks, Jamal then asks,

"Huh? What're you talking about, Addy?"

"I mean that I'm calling bull on that 'any wish, no matter what' bit. Sounds alot like lip service, if you ask me, and I don't trust it."

Caswell asks,

"You really believe there's something suspicious about it?"

Folding her arms with a closed-eyed frown, Athena sighs,

"To be frank, this whole tourney's giving me a suspicious vibe...But on the other hand, I've been on edge since two days ago thanks to the surfacing of that two-faced bastard, so, maybe I'm just being over-paranoid."

The five teens formed cringed expressions, knowing who their friend was talking about after receiving the full details of her encounter just yesterday...Caden then wonders aloud with a quiet, worried tone,

"Y-You don't think, he was being serious, do you? That...he's going to enter the tournament?"

"I really wish I could say he was bluffing, Cade, I really do...but since I have the unfortunate displeasure of knowing Trilos like the back of my own hand, it wouldn't be unlike him to use something like the WDC as a good reason to trash his enemies..."

Jamal mutters with a distant glare near-to-matching Athena's,

"What I don't get is why he would choose now to come after you again, or why he's even still wasting his time on you in the first place...Why's he pickin' on you of all people? Weren't there others who ditched his club, gang, whatever?"

Forming a smile as bitter as tobacco, the girl with red irises speculates,

"Tch-heh, probably 'cause according to him, I was one of his more valuable fighters, and he hates losing something he can use to the full extent. Much as he insulted me now and again...Trilos also had this, strange obsession with my abilities, saying we could make the world quake under our feet once upon a time."

"In other words, he saw you as no more than a powerful tool."

She glances up at Astral, noting his distasteful frown and nodded with her own disgusted expression.

"Pretty much. That's all people are to him, really: Puppets and Tools to manipulate with his own hands..."

...Tiffany reaches out to grip the other girl's hand tight in a rise of protectiveness, muttering,

"Which makes me, really glad you got out when you did. I don't want you to ever become no more than a weapon for someone else..."

"Tiff..."

Athena smiled a bit sadly at her BFF's worries, and squeezed her hand back.

"Hey. I'm sitting with you and everyone else, aren't I? That's gotta count for something."

"It does, truly, make no mistake..."

"Good."

...The conversation's atmosphere is suddenly broken by the sound of a few surprised exclaims from outside in the school courtyard, prompting all seven sets of eyes to turn to the windows.

"Hm?" "What the heck was that?"

"Sounds like panic to me." "I think I heard a robot's voice."

"Let's go check it out."

Rushing out of the classroom and down the halls, the group of six young teens and one celestial being found themselves entering the edge of the front courtyard, staring at a rather peculiar sight: A LitterBot (which to be clear, was not LillyBot), rolling amok around the center area, wailing its arms to and fro, crying out incoherent functionary sentences, leaving any poor students or staff that got too close to go scrambling out of the way with yelps of fright yipping from their throats.

"What the...?"

"Is that a LitterBot?"

"Looks like..."

Caswell hms while placing a finger under his chin in observational thought.

"It appears to have lost all cognitive reasoning and is on some sort of rampage...But why is it here at the school of all places?"

Everyone else shrugs in a 'beats me' fashion...when Jamal spots a familiar feature on the trash-collecting robot.

"Hang on...It's got a big dent on top of its head...Hey, Addy: I think that's the same LitterBot you kicked away durin' the Crashbug Virus fiasco."

"What?! No way!"

Being extremely careful in their approach, the group quietly steals their way down the stairs closer to the spinning LitterBot, and squinting her eyes in an analyzing manner...the memory clicks in Athena's brain.

"Auh, you're right: It's chrome-dome!...But, what're they doin' here wigging out?"

Astral makes a suggestion:

"Perhaps they are still mad from when you harshly kicked them away during that past event."

"Tch, yeah, like I was gonna let 'em trash me? No way, man...Besides, I would've gotten over it by now and not be petty about it."

"Tr-r-r-ash I-dent-!"

"Hm?"

Attention focuses back on the LitterBot with the dent in its head, as it slows its whirling around to a sudden halt...and turns to look straight at the girl with long shaggy hair.

"Tra-a-a-Traaaaa..."

Making a hmph noise, Athena takes a few intimidating steps forward towards the robot.

"You talkin' to me, wise guy?"

Her friends mutter her name in a worried and wary manner, and there's a pregnant pause in light of a staring contest between human and machine...before the latter makes their move, charging forward towards the former!

"Gauh!"

Athena quickly somersaults to the side, while the others scrambled up the stairs in their own respected dodges, Flip jumping onto Jamal's back in his own rise of fear.

"Yipe!"

"Gah-hah-whoa, Flip!"

"Sorry, spur of the moment!" Caden points the focus back below:

"Look!"

They all watch as the out-of-control LitterBot swerved around and barrelled towards the girl with red irises again, the action forcing out a curse from her before she tries to rush away. Unfortunately, she would not be fast enough this time, and was seized by one of the clamping arms before getting tossed harshly to the ground!

"Waaah-Gruh!"

She rolls and skids a little on the surface of the ground before stopping on her side, gritting her teeth slightly from the numbed, pushing impact on her body.

 _What was that for?!_

"Addy!"

Her friends quickly come running over to crowd around her, Tiffany and Caden lifting the girl back onto her feet.

"Are you okay?!" "You alright?"

"What the heck's that rustbucket's problem?!"

"In the end, I've never seen a LitterBot act in that fashion!"

"Are you hurt?"

Shaking her head a bit, Athena replies in strained aggravation,

"I'm fine, but that robo-dweeb's got issues with a capital I-...Wait a minute..."

 _Why does my right hip feel...lighter?_

Groping her hand down to the area in question...the girl feels air in replacement to something very important that should be attached to her side.

"Guh! My deck! Where's my-"

"Trash-Trash! Trash-Trash!"

"Grh!"

She darts her eyes ahead of herself, and following her gaze, everyone would gape in disbelief when they see the LitterBot waving its arm up in the air in a near-mischievous manner, with Athena's cased deck tight in its clamp hand!

"Auh!" "No way!" "It can't be!"

"That robot took Addy's deck!"

"That's just, bizarre!"

Astral's reaction was not quite as exclaimed, but was nonetheless just as surprised-sounding.

"Oh my, that is not good..."

...The LitterBot then turns on its wheeled heel and speeds out of the area for no real rhyme nor reason, leaving the poor victim of the thievery to drop her jaw even further, before quickly forming an infuriated expression and began sprinting after it.

"Hey! Get back here with my deck, you thief!"

The other six would not hesitate to dart after her:

"Addy!" "Athena!" "Hold up!"

Athena's POV

 _Curse my damn luck: First I had my key taken by Kite, and now a LitterBot's makin' off with my deck?!_

 _What the hell's the universe playin' at?!_

I could hear the others panting and their rushing footsteps none too far behind me, which meant I wasn't the only one making a dash off the Academy grounds to track down Chrome-Dome to get my deck back...Mind you, the only one that seemed to have an easier time keeping up with my fast legs was Astral, which was fair since he's capable of flight.

"Do you have any idea where you are going?"

"Nope, not a damn clue, but as long as my eyes have a glimpse of that robot's body, I can't lose 'em!"

...Bu~t because the universe just loves to screw with me every chance it gets, the robo-nut would get a lucky break and managed to swerve out of sight down an alleyway, one of which I knew would have way too many paths to choose from.

"Auh crap, seriously?!"

Slowing to a stop in the middle of the thankfully-quiet roadway to catch my breath, I grumble to myself,

"Greeeeat, now how am I gonna find the menace?"

(...Vrrrrooooommm)

"Hm?"

Next thing I knew, a familiar Duel Runner-styled motorcycle came rolling up on my left before turning to park in front of me, the driver noneother than my upper classmate, Shark.

"Athena? What in the world are you doin'?"

"Tryin' to chase after a batcrap-crazy robot that just stole my deck...Why?"

He gives me a weird expression, before settling with shaking his head in an amused manner.

"You really know how to get into trouble in the strangest ways..."

He then spots the Heart Piece in my hand that I somehow kept a death grip on even after I got the wind knocked out of me before.

"Ah, I see you're competing in that tournament, huh?"

Despite my growing anxiety over my poor monsters being held hostage, I smiled slightly and replied,

"Yeah, I am...Any chance I might see you in the Carnival at all?"

"Other than on whim to maybe cheer you on, probably not."

"Really?"

I was surprised to hear he wasn't planning on participating...  
Revving up his engine, he offers a partly-cryptic answer to my unspoken 'why'.

"The only person that I duel for, Athena, is myself."

His words made me smirk a bit, not completely buying the lone wolf banter, and I joke,

"Aw, does that mean you don't like dueling with your friends?"

"Very funny. You know I mean."

"I do...and, I'm glad you're sounding more sure of your dueling spirit, Shark."

He nods appreciatively, and says,

"Anyway, I'll leave you to lookin' for that LitterBot that took your deck...If I somehow spot it, I'll send you a message through the gazer."

"Cool! Thanks, man. I could use any help I can get."

With that, Shark speeds away on his cycle...By that time, everyone else catches up to me, spotting our classmate's shrinking form.

"Oh! Was that, Shark?" I nod to Tiffany,

"Mhm, and he offered to keep his eyes peeled for that robo-thief...Ugh, still, it's gonna be a chore and a half to find it and my deck."

"Maybe so, maybe not."

I dart my eyes up on my left, to see Astral forming one of those kinds of smiles that usually pops up when someone feels a good idea come.

"I have an idea to how we can track your deck."

"You do? Spill!"

"We merely have to use the energy of the Number Cards to our advantage."

 _The Numbers?...Hmm, I hope Astral knows what he's doing._

Shark's POV

 _Geez, leave it to Addy to get her deck stolen by a LitterBot of all things..._

I had just began riding away from the street that the girl was on, maintaining my halfhearted promise in combing my eyes about for any signs of an out-of-whack robot that had something in its hands it shouldn't...

But I would soon be distracted by something else:

"Hm!?"

(Shoom...Fwip)

I screeched my motorbike to a halt to catch a Duel Monster card between my fingertips, thrown down from the near top of a red-tinted steel building that was under construction...And it wasn't just any card: This was the one card that stirred something awful in me, thanks to that stupid mistake I made a year ago.

 _Gh! Mirror Force?...No...It can't be!_

Dumping my helmet onto my seat, I rushed up the stairs to the point where I was sure the card was thrown from...At first, there wasn't any sign of anyone else there...but then.

"Long time, no see, Reginald."

 _That, voice...!_

Turning my head to glare at the approaching figure, he says in a feigned apologetic tone,

"I'm sorry. Everyone calls you Shark now, right?"

He still looked about the same as he did back when:

Short-cut but large, spiky, layered burgundy and yellow hair, irises of a darker shade of red that nearly mimicked pink in comparison to a certain girl that I've started calling my friend (hers were more a fiery ember), and had that long, cross-shaped scar running over his right face, his skin still carrying that very dull tan...But instead of the more casual outfit he sported in the past, he was wearing these kind of clothes that made you think of the medieval ages, including a long-flowing coat over a white shirt, matching his pants and shoes, all embroidered with a fancy gold patterning like he was from higher class.

 _Tch, like he ever had any class to begin with..._

I reply evenly,

"That's right," and hold up Mirror Force while asking,

"What's the duel card suppose to mean?"

"I simply thought it might come in handy in the Duel Carnival..."

One of my eyebrows almost rose from his statement, before I mutter while glancing away from him,

"I'm not entering the tournament."

"Oh my. You're still holding onto that old burden, aren't you?"

I stiffened...before feigning ignorance:

"What burden?" He of course didn't buy it, but played along:

"Perhaps a story will jog your memory: It takes place during the finals of a duel tournament, where you spied on your opponent's deck and were then disqualified. You do remember your opponent, don't you? It was me."

 _How can I possibly forget, when there's people like you who constantly remind me?_

"...So?"

"So there was more to your spying than simply wanting to win, correct?"

That accusation hit me where it hurt...for he wasn't wrong: There was something...no, someone, who I made a promise to before the finals of that tournament.

 _(Flash)_

 _Her voice, despite being weak thanks to her injured body wrapped in head-to-toe bandages, was the only sound in that hospital room aside from the beeping of the heart monitor..._

 _"Reginald...during the finals...promise me. Promise me that you'll win. Win for me. You need to."_

 _(Flash)_

 _...Sister..._

"I don't blame you: You wanted to win so badly for her. How could you resist my, conveniently-placed duel deck? Why, it's almost as if that deck was left there on purpose..."

 _Wait...no way...! Athena was right!_

"You mean...you set me up...!"

The Mirror Force Card slips out from between my fingertips as a new wave of shock came to flood my veins, my brain buzzing and my ears rushing...It ended quicker than it came, though, and I'd feel a huge jump of rage build up at the man before me.

 _You, Bastard!_

"Why you-!"

He cuts me off with a smug air before I could blow up any further:

"What's done is done, hehehehehe...and that includes your Dueling Career, because ever since that day, you've been a no-name nobody, whereas I've been winning trophy after trophy on the Duel Circuit. That must make you feel like... _a loser_."

 _How, dare, he! Acting like a big shot, calling me a loser!?_

 _...And mocking my sibling with his feigned sympathy...after what he did..._

 _Never! I'll never forgive him!_

"No! I am not a loser!"

"So then prove it to me, Reginald, and face me in the World Duel Carnival..."

He tosses me one of those Heart Pieces that I've been hearing about, adding menacingly,

" _If you dare_ ," before walking out of sight with a laugh...

...Clenching the bit in my hand tight, I mutter in a growl,

"Oh... _I dare alright_."

 _Just you wait, Quattro...The next duel you have with me, will be your last!_

Small Time Skip, No POV

Moving to about late morning, we find ourselves gazing within a room attached to a suite complex sitting at the top floor of a very tall skyscraper, the lighting dim save for an enormous projection display of multiple children's programs against a back wall between two columns standing stiff on a checkered floor.

A lone, throne-like chair sat in front of the projection, occupied by what sounded like a young male soul, clearly enjoying what he was watching as evident by his pitched laughter and hand-clapping...

Getting a closer look, we see that this unknown individual had quite a...mysterious appearance to say the least. His complexion and height along with his hint of vocals suggested someone no older than ten, yet the rest of his style propose a higher maturity. He had blond hair fashioned in a way that looked somewhat like a choppy pageboy cut with a braid over his right shoulder, yellow eyes with only the right iris visible due to the metallic, knight/royalty mix-inspired mask that covered most of his face, and wore an outfit comprised of a sea foam green suit that seemed to come from a different era, caped and with a ruffled white shirt underneath, and white gloves.

...The room's entrance opens, revealing the other male that cornered Shark not too long ago, Quattro, who walks over to stand near the giggling figure to report,

"Reginald will be participating in the World Duel Carnival just as you wished."

"Excellent! I knew you wouldn't let me down."

"Of course, but still, I must ask: Does he really matter? He's but an empty shell now..."

...Joining the entering burgundy-blond's far right side was another male, younger by about two years, with short pink hair that curled at the ends tickling his neck, emerald green eyes, peach-pale skin, and wore clothing also inspired from the older times, consisting of a pink-washed white shirt with slight puff in the sleeves cut off by red cuffs, matching the red, short-sleeved overcoat, white pants, and knee-high boots that reflected the same themed colour scheme.

After him, came another man who was older than the first two to stand close to Quattro's left, considerably tall with extremely long silver hair that flowed down to his ankles, with light purple and green shading in the fringes that framed his pale complexioned face and highlighted his light sea blue eyes, and wore clothing fitting the collective vibe for this apparent group of four, including a white shirt with puffed sleeves cuffed at the ends, a dark blue over jacket outlined gold, with long white trim that ran past the waist, skinny white pants, and white heeled boots that only came up just past the ankles.

...Getting back to scene, the little man in the chair lets out another childish spout of laughter before countering,

"Perhaps, but he still has a part to play! All will become clear once I've gathered the Numbers...You'll see!"

Quattro doesn't show signs of protest, deciding to, 'entertain himself' so to speak in the meantime.

"Very well. Until then...I'll just enjoy putting Shark through the ringer again."

He forms a dangerous-looking grin at the thought, chuckling under his breath while the figure in the chair just laughs on...

...

...Meanwhile, in another part of Heartland City just outside the inner core's towering walls, we see that malfunctioning LitterBot with the dent in its head slowly rolling along in an almost cautious manner...

All is quiet...until:

"Aha!"

(WHAM, Crash)

A familiar, pale-tanned blur with black hair tipped copper red comes barreling in from one side to tackle the unsuspecting robot to the ground!

"Er! Er! Error!"

"Aw, stuff a screw in it and gimme back my deck, ya hot water heater!"

As Athena got to work fighting the machine she was currently straddling, her group of six friends would watch awkwardly from a safe distance, a mix of awe, worry and slightly terrified expressions occupying their faces.

"Guh..." "Uhm..."

Caswell then forms a sweatdrop smile and chides,

"You've gotta give her points for perseverance," which Jamal would agree to with a nervous smile of his own.

"Yeah, no kiddin'."

...And elsewhere throughout the city, many dueling hearts from all crosses of life would be making their arrival into Heartland for the grand tournament, some hearing the following greeting through the airplane terminal intercom.

 _"Welcome all Duel Carnival Travelers! Baggage claim is on the lower level and all ground transportation can be found in Terminal A. Please enjoy your stay in our fair city, and good luck in the tournament!"_

...Then turning our eyes and ears to the place where main operations for the World Duel Carnival was being conducted, we see several dozen robots hard at work monitoring the city growth and health through multiple security screens and computer keyboards...

"Heartland City population has increased by 150%, and continues to expand every hour."

Panning upward to a balcony area, we see a man in his very late teens (though with a biological stature that made him look older) with tanned skin, flame-shaped soot red hair with much lighter shading in the fringe, purple eyes, and wearing an outfit comprised of a muted dark burgundy/black trench coat with a high collar, red shirt, pants that matched the rouge in his coat, black shoes, and black gloves that highlighted a bead-bordered bracelet on his left wrist.

He forms an excited grin and exclaims,

"Did you hear that? Duelists are comin' in by the droves! This is gonna be better than we hoped! Oh-ho-hooo!"

Behind him a few feet, and several feet away from the throne-lounging Mister Heartland, stood a woman about the redhead's age, with milky peach skin, shoulder-length black hair that almost looked onyx in the lighting, her fringes highlighted purple and cut down past her milk chocolate brown irises, and wore an outfit consisting of a dark pink blouse with a purple high-collared undershirt, a white business suit jacket and matching skirt shortened to above her knees, dark purple tights, black heels with spiked tips, and an anklet around her right ankle that matched the bracelet on the high-spirited male. She, herself, kept a cool, calculated demeanor.

"Are all city systems online?" The robots below echo upward,

"Security Systems are online and operational. Network Transmissions are online and operational. All Service Pods are online and operational."

"You hear that? We're all good!"

The woman replies coolly to the unnamed male in the room,

"All of us except for you, Nistro."

He turns to glare over his shoulder at her in a near childish manner.

"What?!"

"Just because things are running smoothly does not mean they'll stay that way. We must stay sharp."

Harrumphing, Nistro retorts,

"I'm as sharp as they come, but you; you're the dullest knife in the drawer! You're lucky I'm here to pick up your slack, Dextra!"

"Oh please!"

Mister Heartland cuts in to stop the bickering:

"That's enough, you two. If this is going to work, we need to work together."

...The air of the conversation is then interrupted when our familiar Number Hunter and his orbital unit arrive in the room by elevator.

"Aah, Kite. I've been waiting for you."

As the man with green hair stood to approach the younger blond, the latter asks irritably,

"Why'd you call me here, Heartland? I have things to do."

"Yes, I know you're busy...but not so busy that you can't behold the spectacle, the glory that is the World Duel Carnival!"

Mister Heartland gestures a hand to the monitors reflecting screenshots of arriving duelists from all of wherever.

"Look at them all: So happy, so excited, so completely and utterly clueless. They have no idea that the reason we've assembled them here is to snatch their Number Cards."

He focuses down on Kite:

"And when I say we, I mean you. After all, you're the one who Doctor Faker's counting on most. (Sneer) _Don't let him down_. After all, there are many powerful duelists competing."

The Number Hunter says nothing in reply, giving Nistro the opportunity to jump in and say,

"Well ya know what I say? Bring 'em on! Whatever Numbers Kite here can't take, I'll be more than happy to nab!"

Kite replies dryly,

"'preciate the offer, but I've got this."

His mood doesn't deter the redhead's; if anything, it encourages his own ego.

"See? He's confident. He's just like me!" But Dextra shoots him down by commenting,

"It's 'cause he's earned it," making him form a slumped and annoyed expression...

(Ping)

There then came a second interruption in the serious atmosphere, when a worker for the inner city offices - they being a male in his early to mid-twenties with short brown hair, pale complexioned and wearing a rather 'loud' uniform - suddenly calls in on a projection monitor.

 _"Mister Heartland? There's a young duelist who's completely demolished a LitterBot with her bare hands outside the gate, apparently trying to get her stolen deck back."_

Said man's eyes widen a little in surprise from such a piece of news, before relaxing to ask,

"And I should care why? Shouldn't this be a problem for the police to handle?"

 _"Um, that's just it, sir: A couple officers have arrived...but they've been having trouble subduing her for a couple hours now, and, honestly...I don't think the girl's going to go down without a fight anytime soon."_

Panning the camera backwards for the confused mayor, he and the other three humans plus one orbital unit would gape in shock at the following scene: At least four city officers sprawled on the ground near the newly-wrecked trash-collecting robot (to the point where it could be considered a spare part scrap heap), while two others were poising at the ready to try and charge at their target of inquiry, they being Athena, who now had her deck back on her hip where it belonged, but was now sporting a few bruises on her limbs, scuff marks on her uniform, and an extremely pissed-off expression on her face.

 _"How many fucking times do I have to explain it to you lightweights?! That damn LitterBot's to blame, not me: They attacked me, stole my deck, and made me go on a wild goose chase to get it back! If anything, I should be suing the manufacturers for allowing shit like this to happen!"_

Kite would recognize the girl in an instant:

 _It's her!_

"Good lord, that one's got mouth on her...Send in personnel from security to assist and take her away."

Just as the office worker agreed to Mister Heartland's order, the blond with grey eyes cuts in.

"Hold on: Let's leave the little punk alone. Clearly, it was the LitterBot's fault, and I heard one went wild and took off from the sanitation site on its own..."

"...You know her?"

"No...I just don't approve of over-excessive brute force, _as you well know_...Besides, you never know who could have a Number Card these days."

Mister Heartland felt his suspicions rise from such a statement from his agent.

"I say...are you sure you're not hiding something, Kite? The other day, there was a mysterious explosion at a Heartland facility..."

Kite replies quickly,

"I don't know anything about that. All I care about, is gathering the Numbers...Now please excuse me. I have to go prepare for the tournament."

The older man with green hair reluctantly allows the blond to leave.

"You're excused."

...Kite and Orbital Seven are then seen traveling down a convector belt hallway to elsewhere within the Heartland Tower so the former could gather his materials needed for the WDC...After a moment of silence, the robot asked curiously,

"Ma-aster Kite, why didn't you report that Athena was involved with that blast?"

The blond shoots Orbital a steely glare and snaps,

"Quiet, or I'll power you down permanently."

"S-Sir!? Quieting down..."

Focusing back up in front of him, his expression relaxes some to where he was reflecting a burning determination, his thoughts drifting to one part of those previous events mentioned in particular.

 _The only person I'm focused on...is Astral._

"And I will have my revenge on him."

"U-Uhm, you're not still talking about me, are you?"

Kite continues his thinking aloud without really registering his robotic companion.

"As for Athena...she is harmless."

...Orbital nearly felt his mechanical jaw unhinge and drop to the floor at such a characterization, especially as he recalled what the two saw on the security monitor just moments ago.

"Really?! Athena's ha-harmless?!"

...A very minuscule and wry smile curved onto the Number Hunter's lips as he adds in a mutter,

"Except to herself, and anyone who really ticks her off."

 _Which admittedly, makes me a bit more curious about her past...and if she truly could become an ally in the future._

Cutting back outside the gargantuan walls of Heartland City's inner core, we see that the aggression levels in Athena had not deteriorated in the slightest, she now holding an arm in a block against a guard's baton-striking appendage while kicking down another, the policemen previously trying to subdue her now receiving a bit of medical care from a few of the office workers.

"Grrh, you morons must be real proud of yourselves ganging up on a single teenage girl like this!"

"Stop resisting and stand down!"

"Call off your men first, ya jackass!"

The girl's fellow classmates and Astral were still standing/floating off to the side away from the battle area, not wanting to get themselves caught in the middle. By this point, they weren't so much scared of Athena's sparring, but were getting a bit exasperated by the continuous cycle. Tiffany groans and pinches her nose bridge:

"Uuugh, this had to be the one day my dad goes out of town. If he were here, this would've been settled quickly without a hassle."

Caden shakes his head in slight disbelief and comments,

"What I'm finding impressive is that Addy's still not tired after several hours of...well, this."

Flip jokes,

"No wonder the school's wrestling team has tried recruiting her a couple times. They'd be unstoppable with her stamina."

(...Clank)

"Hm?"

Attention is then focused up to the large doorway blocking entrance to the inner city, as the big heart in the center suddenly shuffles like a puzzle box! Athena relaxes as the security officer retracts his arm from hers, staring up at the door with confusion.

"Huh? What's goin' on?"

(Ka-chaaaaaaa-clank)

The door opens, and out came a rather showy spectacle: Thirty-two LitterBots dressed like marching band musicians (the four in front playing trumpets), splitting off into two long rows for each side, making way for a large, heart-shaped float designed with a flower-vine theme, carrying Nistro, Dextra, and Mister Heartland in the center!

"Whoa, no way!"

"Is that, Mister Heartland?!"

"It just can't be...!"

While her friends may have been left in awe by the display, Athena just stared blankly up at the man in the green suit for a moment...before forming a frown while thinking to herself with a fold of her arms,

 _So our mayor's got one of those showman personalities, huh? Wow...kind-a pathetic, really._

Once the spotlights on the float turn off and the mayor got a better look at the expression on the girl's face, his smile dropped to form a frown of his own.

 _Hm? That's a rather different reaction compared to other citizens of the city...Is she not easy to impress?_

Finding the sudden silence awkward, Athena clears her throat to prop up a conversation.

"So you're the infamous Mister Heartland, eh? I wondered what meeting you in person would be like a few times...Certainly not what I expected: I imagined something more formal and understated."

"O-Oh really?"

"Truly...And if I may be bolder, why'd you have the urge to come out here? Is this the security's idea of getting me to pipe down?"

The girl's red irises glare over at the clustered mix of police and regular security personnel.

"If it is, I'll be knockin' their jaws loose next."

That caused the men to shiver in light fear of the growled tone, while Caswell and Jamal comment with deadpans,

"Addy should really consider widening her vocabulary outside of threats during times like this."

"Haaaah, I agree. Problem is, her vocab box's usually crumpled into a paper wad when she's especially ticked off, making finding calmer phrases to use difficult..."

Shifting his own expression into a reassuring smile, Mister Heartland chides with a calm hand gestured up,

"My dear girl, there is no need for violence. I have heard about what really happened, and have come here personally to call off these men and let you off from this terrible misunderstanding."

"Uh!...Seriously?"

Athena glances over at the wrecked LitterBot:

"Even after I-uh, trashed the trash-collector?"

"It would have been torn apart by the technical division during repairs, anyway. If anything, you did a service by doing the hard work for them."

"...Wow...Alright then."

Forming a weak smile, the girl calls up to the mayor,

"In that case, thank you for pardoning me, and I apologize for uh-heh, going overboard."

"All water under the bridge, my dear...Hm?"

That was when Mister Heartland spotted the gold pendant around Athena's neck, and became instantly intrigued.

"What, is that pendant there?"

Forming a look of confusion, the girl holds out her necklace slightly while looking down at said key.

"Oh, this?"

"It has a unique shape."

"Yeah, I guess...It was a gift from my Father."

"Was it?"

Mister Heartland forms a smile of knowing, thinking to himself,

 _There is something special about this girl after all..._

Athena found the shift of expression a bit creepy, and stiffened with an uncomfortable frown on her face.

 _O-kaaay, why do I suddenly feel like I'm under a magnifying glass?_

 _...Better yet, why would this man of all people, have interest in my pendant?_

It seemed she wasn't the only one feeling a wave of suspicion flood into her, for Astral too found himself staring up at Mister Heartland during the entire conversation from the point the man forgave Athena for her actions, his eyes narrowed in careful, calculated thought.

Time Skip

The sun would soon be sinking from the sky, casting a golden orange glow over the entire of the city from land to sea, a view best seen from Athena, Astral and Tiffany's current vantage point in the middle of the highway bridge sidewalk...

"You know, even with the serious stuff that's jumbling around, you must still be excited, Addy. This tournament is basically your first official step in becoming part of the big names in the Duel Monster history books..."

A tiny smile formed on the addressed girl's lips:

"Yeah, maybe a little..."

"Athena."

She pivots her head left to Astral's soft call, who then says,

"There is more to it than just that: This is a big tournament that you are in, and a big tournament means there will be alot of duelists, which means there could be alot of Number Cards."

"(Nod) Right, of course...With every Number we gather, your memory receives a new stitch in its seams towards the eventual repair...That's, actually my main reason for entering the WDC."

"What do you mean? I thought your reasons were related to becoming a duel champion for your father."

Athena shakes her head with a lazy, yet sincere smirk.

"I don't really care about that kind of stuff...In the end, trophies are just empty cups, medals and awards are just hunks of metal, and the title 'Winner' is just a fancy word that doesn't hold true meaning in life. That's something Adam taught me that he learned from his moments of 'academic fame' in high school and university...I'm, sure dad would agree with that too. He always spoke about finding something meaningful in life to strive for, like, forming a bond."

"...A bond?"

"Mhm. Like, the kind of bond we share, (glance) the bond I have with Tiffany and the rest of our crew..."

Said girl with black bobbed hair would blush slightly with a sheepish smile as Athena continued.

"And then of course, the bonds I form with the people I duel. Though it's more or less reserved for the kinds that'll stay connected with me after the AR World fades away, the acknowledgement alone can be felt from my enemies too. See, Dueling isn't and shouldn't be focused on the shallow 'Win or Lose' bit, but on something that can't be described in mere words, a, feeling beyond reason."

"I am afraid that isn't a notion true for all."

The girl with red irises dart back on Astral's form again:

"I know that...but who are you referring to specifically?"

"I am referring to Kite. Losing is not an option for him, and he does not give second chances."

"Hmph, maybe not, considering his methods...but I know he's not doing what he's doing on his full free will. Like I said before, he's just afraid of putting his younger brother in more danger than he probably already has..."

Casting her eyes down to the water below her, Athena adds in a mixed tone of sadness and bitterness,

"I understand how that feels, thanks to Trilos, the bastard...If there's anyone I really need to watch out for in this tournament, it's him. Not that I'm fully worried: This ain't my first rodeo after all."

"Athena..."

"Hm?"

She turns to meet Astral's eyes again...but saw that the mismatched gold and white was cast past her, towards Tiffany, whom the former turned to see having a distantly scared frown form on her lips.

"Addy...I, I don't want anything bad to happen to you. I, want you to be safe..."

Noting the moisture that was manifesting in the corners of those cornflower blue eyes, Athena quickly tries to quell the other girl's fears.

"Whoa, hey, hey, don't you start cryin', Tiff. I'm gonna be just fine...You know me: Nothing can knock me down. (Small smirk) Worse comes to worst, I'll just introduce any wise guys to my two little friends, (holds up her fists) Punch, and Ya."

The dry, crude joke made Tiffany giggle the slightest, and she smiles before replying in a chide,

"Alright alright, let's not take it that far...I do, however, want you to promise me one thing."

"Shoot."

The blue-eyed girl with black bobbed hair turns to take Athena's hands into her own before requesting,

"That you'll go in, duel, take names, and come back out of this tournament in one piece...Otherwise, it'll be my 'Punch and Ya' you'll be introduced to."

Both girls laughed, and the latter nods in agreement:

"Deal."

...Later on, we find Astral inside the temporal space of Athena's pendant just outside the mysterious golden airship, pondering over the girl's worded concepts by his own thinking.

 _Interesting...Dueling is about something more precious than Winning and Losing._

 _A feeling beyond reason that no words can describe._

 _...But what, Athena? What?_

As the celestial being's mind spun ideas to how he can answer this question in a way he'd understand, we zoom out of the key into the owner's bedroom, as she sat on the floor near her bed thinking deep and careful about her choices for her Duel Monster deck.

"Hmm, let's see...Damn, I think this is the hardest I've ever thought in terms of organizing my deck."

A slight smirk graces the lips of the girl dressed in her giant light blue sleepshirt, and she turns to glance her red irises that sparkled with a knowing glint out her window.

"Somethin' in my gut's saying that I'm not the only one spinning the gears..."

And right Athena was: Fading in and out from several different homes, we see that her friends Flip, Caswell, Caden and Jamal were hard at work prepping their decks as well, determined smiles/smirks on their faces as they shuffled card after card...

...But it wasn't just the girl's allies, of course: Her enemies, one true and the other forced, were also readying themselves for the next day. For Kite, it would mean shooting another mental promise to the sleeping Hart.

 _Little Brother...I promise you...things will be as before._

He glances down between the framed photograph of the two brothers back before the triggering event that led to this point, and the hiding place of those drawings he found.

 _Even if it means, eventually teaming up with someone I'd least expect to seek...help from._

Then for Trilos, he would be standing atop the roof of an old abandoned building close to the rougher end of the city that stood tall and overlooked a good deal, gripping his cased deck tight with a menacing smirk plastered on his face.

"Keh, moments like these I count myself lucky to be a descendant of another infamous lowlife in the Dueling World..."

 _Their cards, plus some from my dips in the Black Market, have treated me right these last several years..._

 _And with them...I'm gonna finally kill the rebel spirit of that little bitch who dared turn her back on me, and haul her ass back where it belongs, or completely destroy her trying._

Time Skip

Confetti is shot into the air and explodes to scatter as a fluttery rainbow against the clear, sunny skies for all eyes of the public to see during this grand opening day of the city's World Duel Carnival. A large progression of LitterBots roll down the road in their marching band uniforms to play a song of celebration to mix with the cheers and smiles of the many people, duelists and spectators alike, awaiting the green light for big event to begin.

"Check out how fast they're goin'!"

"They must be hittin' light speed!"

"Look at all those hearts!" "They're so beautiful!"

Those exclaims from the unnamed faces in the crowd would be for the airshow jets that came zooming across the big expanse of blue, streaming smoke of pastel colours to create more than a dozen iconic heart shapes to float above the eyes mesmerized by the sight...Then came the holographic greeter message spelling 'Welcome to Heartland' to spin around the top of the infamous Heartland Tower...

Among those who had their duel gazers on to take in both the physical and potentially-reachable views, was Athena, hair left wild and free that matched her playful smirk, dressed in a bright red fitted tank top, her golden key shining around her neck, her black leather jacket she inherited from her mother, onyx skinny jeans with a white patch on the right knee, a dark blue/black checkered pleated skirt that ran to just above her knees overtop the jeans with a pair of silver suspenders hanging on her hips through the belt loops along with her dueling equipment, and her brown steel-toe boots she got from her brother Terry.

...Standing with her up front a part of the big crowd of citizens was all of her friends.

Astral, who floated near the girl's left side with his usual indifferent frown, but with curiousity and anticipation sparkling in his mismatched gold and white irises.

Tiffany, she wearing a mint green babydoll dress that had a flowy skirt running to a little past the knee-length, powder blue flats, and her signature green daisy hair clip holding up her left fringe, better showing off the bright smile on her face as she stood on Athena's right.

Jamal, sporting a yellow tank top under a black vest, baggy grey jeans held with black suspenders, and his white hightop sneakers, his dreadlocks sneaking out from under his loosely snugged-on black and electric blue-striped ski cap, lips set with a half-smile, half-smirk with his hands in his pockets while standing by the girl with bobbed black hair.

Caswell, standing content in his first-year academy uniform with a smile that read as both excited and a bit nervous near the coco-olive skinned male.

Flip, grinning like a mischief maker while wearing a more dapper outfit consisting of a cerulean blue suit outlined with yellow for the jacket and aqua green for the pockets and cuffs of his short pants, a pink-washed white undershirt, his usual aqua bowler hat with the shooting star symbol up front and the red frowny face at the back, a big red bowtie, blue/green striped long socks, and brown shoes similar to his academy-regulated pair.

And of course, Caden, a shy yet confident smile framed by his lips as he stood near the boy with the bowl-cut blue hair and the other shorter, bespectacled male, clad in his special outfit that highlighted his passion for the feline world, from his gray dress-shirt and matching skinny jeans with the sandy-brown tail spotted with gray peeking out, a sandy-brown undershirt, his neck adorning a black collar choker with a silver star charm, down to his black-gray high-top converses, his hands once again covered by gray gloves that sported those sharp, white nails.

Tiffany says to Athena in her own excitement,

"It's finally starting, Addy: The big day!"

The latter nods in acknowledgement, humming the longer-pitched chorus of a familiar song she's come to hold as an anthem for her life...

(Note: Rights and Ownership of references to _Diamond Eyes_ belong to the band, _Shinedown_.)

...Cutting briefly away from the major shuffle of people, we see Shark standing at ready in his own day clothes, his lips being the only ones not reflecting an expression related to the realm of good feeling, frowning in waiting for the starting blast to this event so he could get on with his own agenda...

Attention is then focused above all on the following live message via AR projection, delivered by Mister Heartland himself, dressed in a very stand-outside-the-crowd suit of reflective gold trimmed with bright sky blue feathers on the collar, matching his heeled shoes, a pink iconic heart spattered on the front of the tailcoat, a red/yellow polka-dot bowtie, white gloves, and a similar-themed top-hat resting on his crown.

 _"Welcome, Duelists, to Heartland City! Welcome to the World Duel Carnival! Now, here are the rules."_

A simple map of the city is displayed.

 _"The field of play is the entire city, and the phase of this tournament will last three days. During these three days, if you are challenged to a duel, you must accept that challenge. How do you accept a challenge? Simple: You wager a Heart Piece. If you lose your Heart Piece, you lose your spot here. But if you win, you win a Heart Piece!"_

An image of said ante symbol is shown to demonstrate an example of such a scenario.

 _"Assemble all five pieces and you'll have won a spot in the tournament finals. If you have any further questions about the tournament rules, well, that's just too bad, because much like all our viewers at home, I can't wait another second! So let the Duels Begin!"_

With that, the mayor signs off with a beaming smile, matching most of the crowd as they cheered for the green light to start the back-to-back battles...

One of such people, would be Jamal:

"Awright! This is it, dudes!"

He turns to shoot a smirking grin at his friends:

"Here's where we part as friendly rivals! Check ya later!"

The dark-complexioned boy with aqua irises then darts off, followed by Flip, whose grin was more mischievous than the previous.

"See ya in the finals, heheheh!"

Watching them leave, the girls then lightly discuss the probability of who and when for this tournament.

"So who do you think will call the first challenge?"

"No idea, but it's gonna take a specific kind of spunk, I think."

"Out of the way! Move it!"

"Hm?!"

Raising a unison brow of confusion and surprise, they, Caden, Caswell and Astral turn around to the sound of a young male's impatient shout, mixed with gasps and yelps from the crowd, caused by a fast-running blur of blue, apparently kicking a soccer ball plastered with Duel Monster cards!

"Since winning this tournament is my goal, I'll let my ball pick my opponent!"

(...KICK)

He whacks his foot hard against the ball and sends it flying towards its random target...

(FWAP-Screeeeeeeecccccch...plop)

But instead of some poor person getting the wind knocked out of their system or a concussion, the ball wound up picking out a stranger whose reflexes were more than a match for the heat-seeking-speedy sphere, holding out a flat palm to stop it, causing a momentary continuum spin, before dropping to the ground innocently like it was as dangerous as a pillow.

...That person, by the way, was of course our girl with the long, shaggy black hair tipped copper red, her crimson irises glaring at the mystery soccer enthusiast who stalked over to plant a foot on his ball. The remain part of her crew was completely gobsmacked by the display of skill...until Tiffany broke the awed silence with a clear of her throat, awkwardly commenting,

"Uh, nice block, Addy." The addressed merely replied with a dry,

"Gotta be prepared for anything."

"Right...anyway."

The girl with cornflower blue irises then turns to match her best friend's glare at the one responsible for the near-collision of the soccer ball.

"Oi, what's your issue, buddy?! This is a Duel Tournament, not a soccer field!"

Getting a better look, we see that the um, assailant, was a young boy around the four academy student's age group, wearing a soccer team uniform consisting of a bright blue t-shirt with white bordering on the sleeve ends and collar, a light blue line running overtop that and across his torso, underscoring the upside-down triangle emblem over his left breast, matching shorts with hints of a pair of skin-tight, magenta athletic shorts peeking from under the baggy ocean cuffs, and white sneakers with orange laces. He also had a pale-tanned complexion, highlighting his wildly spiky red-brown hair with light orange dyed in his fringes, and yellow-hazel eyes.

His lips are curved into a pumped-up smirk as he retorts to Tiffany's scolding,

"For me, they're one in the same. Now then, I'm hoping from that reaction, _goalie girl_ , that you're ready for a duel."

That nickname was reserved for Athena, who smirks back while softening her glare slightly to reflect a ready-and-able player.

"Oh you better believe I am, and you're gonna regret kicking that 'deck' of yours in my direction!"

 _Here begins the first battle in this little game of War..._


	27. Dribbling to Victory

We return to where our story was left last, as Athena Fujina is called out to the challenge by another fellow duelist during this, the first day of the World Duel Carnival Preliminaries, a Duel Monsters Tournament where an entire city is made the battlegrounds for dreams and nightmares alike stimulated by the hearts of those souls brave enough to face it all...

"So tell me, _ball boy_ , are you like 'serious' serious in melding your passions into one? Gotta say, I feel kind-of bad for your poor monsters on that soccer ball of yours, getting jostled around like they are."

"Better believe I'm serious, which leaves you in quite a bit of peril, I'm afraid."

The boy with yellow-hazel irises maneuvers his ball/deck up from his foot, to calve, before bumping it up right into his open palm to hold out with a confident smirk.

"If you think I've got the skills in kicking it, just wait until you see the moves I'll make out on the duel field."

Athena rose a brow and comments mentally,

 _Again, I can't help but feel a bit concerned for the cards on that ball..._

"Now then, pull out your Heart Piece and let's go!"

Forming her own smirk, the girl spiritedly replies while matching the boy's pose of holding out her first tournament ante,

"Hell yeah, let's do it! Heh, I like your style...By the way, name's Athena Fujina, Addy to my friends. Whadda you sport?"

"The name is Striker."

That identity sparked an ember of familiarity within Caswell's mind:

"Did he say Striker...?"

Tiffany and Caden pivot their heads to him as the former asked,

"You know him?"

Placing a finger under his chin, the boy with bowl-cut blue hair replies in vague thought,

"Maybe. The name sure sounds familiar..."

Meanwhile, the crowd of citizens mixed with fellow participants and spectators began buzzing with excitement, smiles and grins of all sizes rimming with anticipation for the duel to fizz to life like a sparkler...Striker and Athena would quickly oblige:

"Time to kick this carnival off!"

"Agreed! We'll write the first chapter for the WDC ourselves! Duel Disk: Go! Duel Gazer: Gimme the best visual you've got for the start of this new piece of Duel History!"

 **Augmented Reality Vision Link Established.**

"(Both Duelists) Now let's Duel!"

Athena would start the battle off:

"Since I was challenged by you, I'll be taking the first move! Draw!"

She glances at the card she just drew, forming a little grin on her face.

"Heh, and a good draw it was too. Alright: I'm placing a monster face-down in Defense Mode. That's it; I pass the baton to you."

Astral comments on her play:

"Gogogo Golem in Defense Mode...Smart move. With all of that trash-talk our fancy-foot-working friend was kicking up, I figured you would foolishly go on the attack...Clearly, I am rubbing off on you."

Smiling with her red irises formed in a mild glare, the girl retorts,

"Tch, please, I'm not that impulsive...Not all the time, at least. Besides, Striker's boasting is pretty mild compared to other examples I've witnessed with my own ears, so I'm hardly bothered enough to go on the offensive too quick for thought."

"Is that so?"

"Mhm."

Speaking of the soccer enthusiast, he cuts into the one-sided-in-his-vision conversation as he began his first turn of the duel.

"I dunno who you're talkin' to over there, but I know that after my first move, you won't be talking to anyone 'cause you're gonna be speechless! Here we go...I Draw! (Looks at card) Just what I was hoping for! It's the Field Spell Card known as, Stadium of Dreams!"

Upon playing said card, the background of the AR World shifts to create a very large soccer stadium, the audience placed into hundreds of seats that ran around the green field!

...To make this developing situation even more interesting, Athena's wardrobe received a temporary makeover, redressing her in a soccer uniform comprised of a red/white t-shirt with her name written in Kanji running down the left side underneath an owl symbol (playing onto one of the major symbols related to her Greek goddess namesake), black shorts with white stripes running down the side, and black soccer cleats that stood out against her long red socks. Her hair was also fashioned into two side braids.

"What the-(tugs at shirt) Hey! I didn't call for a wardrobe switch!"

She wouldn't be the only one: Tiffany also received a new look that followed the soccer theme of this field spell, consisting of a mint green cheerleader uniform with pink and white mixed in (and black modesty shorts under the skirt), with pompoms included. Once more, her two friends outside the main crew, Calli and Hana, somehow got sucked into the chaos with her, sporting their own copies of the uniform.

"Huh?"

"Hey, what gives?!"

"I'm, more partial to a powder blue than green..."

And then acting as the commentary announcers, would be Caden and Caswell, each dressed in their own suits of sandy brown and dark mahogany respectively, a microphone headset added to their Duel Gazers.

"Oh wow! It's like we're at our own World Cup Series!"

"Indeed it is, and it looks like we'll be the ones calling it out in front of these fine people! And if their cheers are any signs, I'd say that this Stadium of Dreams is their dream come true!"

That may have been true for the spectators, but Athena was feeling slightly annoyed by the more loud display.

"Oh brother; it just had to turn into a big show, didn't it?"

Striker calls back,

"It sure did, and there's more: Stadium of Dreams switches all monsters face-down face-up!"

"Aw man!"

On that note, Gogogo Golem rises to stand on the field in Defense Mode...and was wearing a uniform similar to Athena's, signifying one team on this illusionary field of green...

"But I'm not finished! Next I summon, Wing Captain!"

The image of the Level Four Monster is displayed on the stadium jumbo-tron, before rising in front of Striker, their appearance being a peach-orange-shaded android with thin metal wings protruding from the shoulder blades, wearing the same blue uniform as their wielder, and had 1100 Attack Points and Defense Points ready to use.

"Now, go, Wing Captain: Attack!"

Athena kept a cool smirk on her face, unfazed by the power coming her way.

"Sorry, Striker, but your Wing Captain's power is behind Gogogo's by 400!"

"Not once I play the Spell Card, Perfect Pass!"

A white glowing orb the size of a soccer ball appears in front of the boy's foot, who kicks it over to his monster.

"Take it, Wing Captain, and take it to Gogogo Golem, 'cause since Golem's Defense Points are greater than my Captain's Attack Points, my Captain's is doubled!"

Said monster splits into two as their strength rose to 2200!...Still, Athena remained confident in her monster's abilities:

"Bring it on, Double Trouble! Gogogo Golem's special ability allows him to survive an attack once per turn!"

"Ooh, didn't I mention? Perfect Pass negates your monster's special abilities!"

That wiped the smirk off of the girl's face:

"What, seriously?!"

"Can you say, Go-Go-Goooooooaaaaaalllllll!"

Wing Captain whacked the ball hard across the air, to strike in the golem's torso hard, passing through their de-pixelating body to hit Athena's body next!

"Guh!"

 _"Gooooooooooaaaaaaaallllllll!"_

She's thrown back hard enough to go flying right into the soccer net set up behind her, Life Points dropping to 3300, much to her confusion as she rose back up again.

"Hey, what gives? You're not suppose to lose any Life Points if it's a monster in Defense Mode that's destroyed!"

Striker explains smugly as his monster waves to the audience,

"You do when Cappy's Attack Points are greater than your monster's Defense Points. Dont'cha just love Captain's special ability?"

Athena just curses under her breath...

"I'm ending my turn with a face-down! Your turn, Athena, if you dare!"

Despite the lead that the brunette had, Tiffany wouldn't allow her BFF to start feeling discouraged.

"You got this, Addy! 'specially with us acting as your cheer squad, right girls?"

Both the girl with curly black hair with dyed-in blue highlights and the other with long white-blond hair nodded with their own smiles, all three waving their pompoms and cheering,

"Go Addy go! Go Addy go!"

Caswell and Caden would voice their support as well:

"This broadcaster's behind you too!"

"And me! We all believe in your spirit, Addy!"

The girl with red irises stares at each of her cheering friends...before forming a small, encouraged smile.

 _Well, if they're confident in my abilities, why shouldn't I be?_

Facing in front of her, she grabs hold of her next card:

"Okay, round two! I Draw!"

(Swipe)

"Ha, nice! I summon, Gagaga Magician!"

And much like what happened with Gogogo Golem, the Level Four spellcaster also received a modification to their outfit thanks to Stadium of Dreams, wearing the same t-shirt that Athena was wearing...

"Let's take back this duel, Gagaga! Attack Wing Captain!"

Watching as said monster charges forward while dribbling the ball, Caswell comments,

"Great coaching! Gagaga Magician has 1500 Attack Points and Wing Captain's Attack Points are back to normal, so this is a mismatch!"

The spellcaster kicks the soccer ball hard, slamming it right into the other monster's torso, destroying them in a cluster of pixels, much to the delight of Athena's friends.

"Yeah, Addy!" "Gooooaaaal!"

"Whoo-hoo!"

(Bwee-bwee-bwee-bwee-bweeeeeeeee)

...But all that excitement would be shot down when a LitterBot Referee suddenly bleeps their whistle while waving a red/yellow checkered flag. Striker would follow after in stating,

"That last goal is negated."

"What?!" "Negated?!"

Astral and Athena would quickly figure out why, matching eachother with glaring frowns.

"I smell a Trap Card..."

"Yep, and it reeks."

"Tough luck, Athena, but as you can see, I've activated my face-down, Offside Trap!"

"And dare I ask what it's capable of?"

"It allows my Wing Captain to come back from the Graveyard, I take no damage from your attack, plus your turn comes to an end!"

Gritting her teeth while biting back a growl of frustration, the girl remarks,

"Crud, and I barely got started on this turn too!"

Tiffany felt her smile turn into a frown of disappointment, while her fellow cheerleader with caramel skin exclaims in a temper flare-up,

"Oh that's just uncool!"

While Hana tries to calm Calli down, Astral comments,

"Observation Number Fifteen: Soccer is a Thinking Man's Game. Your brand of thought process still needs training."

Athena pivots her head towards him and barks with an annoyed glare,

"Hey, watch it! I'm giving it all I can here!"

Striker cuts in with an amused smirk and taunts,

"Your all? Is that what you call those weak moves?"

"Shut up!"

"It's my move! I Draw! First up, I'm summoning out Top Scorer!"

This new monster to grace the field had a similar appearance to that of Wing Captain, but was simpler in body design with yellow replacing the orange, and was Level Five with 2000 Attack Points. Astral felt his suspicions rise upon seeing such a strong monster out:

"How did he summon a Level Five Monster without using a tribute?"

Athena wasn't far behind, her reaction more prominently bristled:

"Hey! You can't just summon a monster that strong so quick; that's against the rules!"

The boy with dark brown hair and copper orange fringes kept the smirk going as he counters,

"I can when the Field Spell Stadium of Dreams is out: It lets me summon Top Scorer without tributing a monster!"

"Grh, an unfair advantage if I ever heard one!"

"Now go ahead and strike away, Top Scorer! Attack Gagaga Magician!"

One high sidekick's all it takes for the player to strike the ball hard against the spellcaster, destroying them and causing Athena to flinch from the impact as her Life Points fell to 2800. Striker continues to bring the heat:

"And with your defense now in disarray, I'll take shot number two! Wing Captain, Attack!"

The ball comes flying in the girl's direction again, slamming her body into the net, forcing her Life Points to plummet further down to 1700 to the tune of the AI announcer singing,

 _"Gooooooooooaaaaaaaallllll!"_

Tiffany cries out her dueling friend's name with worry, while Caden shields his sharp brown irises with his left hand.

"Ooooh, someone shake me when the bad part's over!"

The soccer enthusiast then calls out,

"Guess what? I'm not done! Next I activate a Spell Card and it's an eye for an eye too, Eye Contact!"

We see his Offside Trap return through the shuffle system of his duel disk...

"Don't blink, 'cause Offside Trap returns to my hand! Next I place one card face-down, and end my turn!"

Athena's POV

 _There's a probable chance that face-down's Offside Trap again..._

Groaning under my breath, I comment in a reluctant mutter,

"I'll give Striker a little credit: He's no pushover in his strategies...He more than likely has Offside Trap at ready, which means he'll be able to stop both my attack and my turn..."

...Not hearing a response for a couple seconds, I turn to look at Astral, raising my brow at his folded arms and closed eyes.

"Uh, hello? Are you listening?"

"Of course I am listening, Athena."

"Then can I please have some helpful input?"

"I think you summed it up well: Things seem quite hopeless."

 _...That's helpful how?!_

It took most of my self-restraint to refrain from swatting a hand against the back of Astral's head (knowing full-well the contact would be lost to his intangibility).

"Tch, nice choice of advice, 'coach'! How's that suppose to motivate me?!"

My temper would only flare higher thanks to Striker's boasting:

"Oh yes, you know it's over. My sick skills have you completely covered, (points at me) and there's not a thing you can do about it, Athena!"

 _Why that-!_

I was ready to belt out a crude comeback, when the whole atmosphere of the duel got interrupted, by the sudden appearance of two men who looked about the same ages as my brothers, maybe slightly older.

The first one had short, big red mahogany hair with orange highlighting in two of the front fringes, light moss green eyes, and wore an outfit that reminded me of Adam's usual fashion style, comprised of a white, long-sleeved button-up shirt under a gray-washed jacket, a dark blue scarf, black pants and tan-brown shoes.

The second guy standing on his right had short, spiky blond hair, hazel irises, his pale skin having a bit more of a tan than the first one, and wore clothes of a more causal air, like Terry, they being a smoke grey fitted tank-top with a dog-tag necklace hanging overtop from his neck, a lighter grey jacket tied around his waist above his dark green cargo capris, and brown flip flops.

I sure as hell didn't know who they were...but Caswell did.

"Oh my! It's Dempsey and Donovan, the quick-kicking brothers who play for Heartland United!"

 _Heartland United?...Oh yeah, that's the name of our city's professional soccer team!_

 _...Wonder why they're here?_

Caden asks that same question aloud, and once again, my brainiac friend from the Academy would provide an answer.

"Wait just a minute: Now I know why Striker's name sounded familiar! It's because he's related to Dempsey and Donovan! He's their kid brother, and third son to world-class coach, Keller Crossit! Talk about a family with some serious soccer skills: Together, they've won more championships than anyone else out there."

As impressive as all of that professional blah-blah-blah sounded...it still begged forth a question I had to ask the boy I was battling against.

"Oi, Striker."

"Hm!?"

"If all of that drivel's true, how come you're playing in a Duel Tournament of all places? Not saying that to be prejudice; just seems a bit odd considering your other career..."

"I'll tell you why: 'Cause I'm nothing like my two brothers, or my father!"

 _Huh?_

I cocked my head to the side in confusion from his angry outburst, and watched as he directed his glare towards the two new arrivals.

"Do you two hear that?! I'm a Duelist, not a Soccer Player 'cause in a Duel, there's no passing or assists! It's all about getting the job done yourself!"

 _Whoa whoa, back the truck up: Is he thinking what I think he's thinking?_

The next part of his rant confirmed my suspicions:

"Somebody somewhere out there once said that there's no I in the word Team. Well in Dueling, the word 'Team' doesn't exist, and I like it that way!"

...

...

I couldn't help it: I had to laugh aloud at this kid's beliefs, which would prompt him to turn back in my direction with an incredulous expression mixed into his glare.

"What are you laughing at?"

"You, stupid, for thinking that teamwork doesn't exist in Dueling. You couldn't be anymore wrong."

It was his turn to form a look of surprised confusion, while Astral asks me,

"What are you doing, Athena?"

Glancing sideways to my intangible friend, I answer,

"Setting Striker straight, Astral, not just for his benefit, but ours too, or this duel's gonna end as a load of crap."

Focusing back on the bitter boy several yards in front of me, I alliterate my argument with a knowing smirk.

"Duelin's all about teamwork, Striker."

"Oh gimme a break!"

"Nah, I'd rather give you a teachable moment...Think about this for a second: Your Wing Captain and Top Scorer. They're not just your monsters, but your teammates."

That brought about the dumbstruck expression I was hoping for, and I continue.

"That's at least how I see my monsters every time the AR World opens for me. I admit, I had a couple slip-ups in the past due to some hard times, but I never forgot it. Every monster...no, every card in my deck makes up my team."

"All your cards, teammates...?"

I nodded with a softer smirk, and Astral cuts in to steer the situation back on course again.

"Focus, Athena. It is our turn to Draw now."

"Gotcha...Say, you seem more eager to get it on. What gives?"

"It is because of you, Athena. That speech you gave has given me an idea, to win."

My heart flutters a bit in excitement, liking this new wave of confidence Astral was displaying...

"Time to put on your rally cap, Athena, because it is comeback time."

"Don't got the cap, but I'm all for the rally. Okay...Draw!"

(Swipe)

"Next-"

"I summon, Zubaba Buster."

I nearly tripped onto my front thanks to my friend's interruption, and shoot him an annoyed expression.

"'Ey, I'm all for teamwork, but don't cut in before I finish my sentences; it's rude!...Anyway, I summon Zubaba Buster!"

Similar to my Knight, Buster is a warrior that wielded a large mace-like weapon, Level Three with 1800 Attack Points...And just as it happened with my other monster so far in this duel, he too was given a soccer uniform shirt to wear.

 _Can't help but wonder what the female monsters are forced to wear for this Field Spell..._

"Then I will use the Spell Card, Monster Reborn to summon back to the field Gogogo Golem!"

 _Oh good lord, really?_

This time instead of glaring at him, I just looked at him with a deadpan of obviousness.

"Uh, how long do you plan on voicing over me?"

"Now now, just think of it as part of the teamwork thing."

"I would and do to an extent, but need I remind you that out of the two of us, I'm the one that can be seen and heard by everybody outside our little circle...?"

...I could've sworn a very light blush of sorts had ghosted over the blue being's cheeks for a second out of realization.

 _Heh, finally, he has an embarrassed moment. Note to self: Tease him later._

Smirking slightly, I focus out of my thoughts and back to reality to get on further with my turn.

"Next up is the Spell, Monster Reborn! Using it, I call back Gogogo Golem from the Graveyard in Defense Mode!"

Striker's overconfidence flared up as he jeered,

"Ha! Bring out what you like, 'cause there's nothing that can possibly beat my Offside Trap!"

I mutter to myself,

"Nothing at all, huh? Kuh, that's the real impossible right there: There's always some sort of Achilles Heel in any strategy."

Astral agrees:

"Very true, and in this case, you have something better."

"Yeah?"

"Activate the Spell Cross Attack from your hand. Do it now."

 _Cross Attack?...Aha!_

I follow through his word upon clicking to his train of thought:

"I activate the Spell Card, Cross Attack!"

"Now since we have two monsters on the field with the same amount of Attack Points, one of them can attack Striker directly."

In the time Astral summarized the ability of the card, Zubaba Buster had skillfully maneuvered the ball past Top Scorer before punting it straight at Striker, he getting struck in his torso and flew right into the net behind him, his Life Points dropping to 2200!

Though I couldn't hear what he muttered under his breath, the boy definitely showed the disbelief and gritted anger on his face, making me smile sardonically back at him.

 _There, how'd you like that, wise-guy?_

Tiffany and her gal-pals Calli and Hana shook their pompoms and cheered me for my comeback move.

"Go A~ddy! Go A~ddy! Go go, go A~ddy! Yeeaaah!"

Caswell and Caden aren't far behind in their praise:

"What a dazzling display!"

"Dazzling? More like depth-defying!"

My opponent of course would not be as impressed, choosing to rise back on his feet with a bitter expression matching his attitude.

"Alright, so you found out Offside Trap can't activate against direct attacks, big deal!"

Astral argues,

"It is a big deal, because after all, Athena, not only does Striker take damage from Zubaba Buster's attack, but the monster with the fewest Attack Points on the field is also destroyed."

 _Ri~ght, which means we can say 'see ya' to Wing Captain!_

One straight kick from the ball, and that soccer player monster was gone...

"Sure, Zubaba Buster pays a penalty of 800 Attack Points when it uses this ability, but that is a small price to pay to destroy a monster."

I nodded in agreement with his logic, looking at my hand to find another idea for a play.

"And here's where we add another explosive blow, or rather, the Spell Card, Extra Blast! Because a special ability destroyed your monster, you take another 500 Points of Damage!"

Once again, Striker is shoved back hard by the incoming ball, and his Life Points fall to tie with my own at 1700.

"It's all tied up right now!"

"Addy's right back in this thing!"

My BFF followed after my feline-obsessed friend and brainiac buddy, raising her right arm high with the other 'cheerleaders'.

"Wayta go, Addy!"

I call back to everyone,

"Thanks for the support, you guys! (Faces her front) You see now how well teamwork pays off? Alright, I'm throwin' down a face-down and ending my turn. You're up, Striker."

"And I'll _throw_ up if you keep talkin' about teamwork!"

By this point, I was getting rather irritated by his moments of 'blowing his stack' over one little word.

 _Yeesh, what's his problem? Is he that independent, or was he on a crappy team?_

I would get my answer soon enough, and it would be closer-related to the first half of my second question.

"I never believed in it..."

He went on gabbing about a rather humiliating day on the field for him sometime before he began dueling, which reading between the lines was his fault in being so quick to judge the skills of his comrades...

"It was on that day I turned my back on Soccer, and vowed to show my brothers that I was right, that I could be a champion without anyone's help! So here I am, Athena, doing exactly that, and no one is gonna stop me, especially not you!"

 _...Striker..._

I shook my head in both amusement and disappointment, my smile reflecting the same.

"Dude, once again, I'm telling you you're as wrong as wrong can be."

His face contorts into disbelief, and I elaborate,

"If the fact of you having your deck plastered to your ball and your own clothes hasn't jogged your brain, then think of all the cards you've got. Tch, turned your back on the game, eh? Don't make me laugh: You're still as soccer-crazy as you were back when."

"Grrrh, that's not true! I'm over Soccer now!"

"Still playing stubborn, hm? Alright, (waves a hand) let's cast our eyes over the battlefield, then: A soccer stadium, created by one of your very cards...Come on, you don't need to deny it, Striker. You can say that you still love your passion, even if it's been annoying you this past while."

"...Do I?"

I watch as he checks out his current hand and field, making me smile in a knowing fashion.

 _We~ll, looks like someone's blinders are comin' off..._

But, I knew that this epiphany moment would be short-lived, and we would have to get back to the current game being conducted.

"It's my turn! Here goes!...Perfect!"

Hearing that spurt of confidence made my guard jump up warily.

 _Hoh boy, here we go..._

"Straight from my hand, I'm summoning Defending Sweeper! And when Stadium of Dreams is on the field, it gains one full level!"

On one hand, I wasn't worried about this monster's weak offense and strong defense...Yet on the other, the increase of levels got my inner warning bell ringing...

"But I'm not done yet. I may not believe in teamwork, but I believe in this Spell, All-For-One!"

And here's where that instrument starts ding-ding-dinging like a five year-old playing the xylophone.

"This isn't gonna be good for us, is it?" Astral replies,

"I am afraid not. In fact, it could mean the end for us. Since there are two monsters on the field with the same type and level, All-For-One allows Striker to summon another monster from his Graveyard, so long as it is the same type as the other two."

 _Crap. And I'm more than positive I know which one..._

"Suit up, Wing Captain, you're back on the field!"

 _Called it._

When said monster rose back on the field, I caught Striker and they nodding to one another, telling me there was more to this revival than meets the eye.

"But not only does All-For-One bring the Captain back, it also lets me give 'im one extra level!"

I note on my side,

"Now he's got three Level Five Monsters...Oh god, don't tell me he can-"

"Now I can overlay Level Five Top Scorer, Defending Sweeper and Wing Captain!"

All three players go shooting up for the skies in their own distinct streams of orange light, before diving back down into a red vortex that opened just above Striker's net. I relaxed the slightest, now more assured that this won't be a duel for Numbers, this time.

 _Hm, alright, so it's a regular XYZ...Wonder what it'll be like?_

"And now that the Overlay Network has been created, I can XYZ Summon! Come on out, Playmaker!"

The monster that would be before my vision had a similar appearance to that of Wing Captain, but taller and with cybernetic wings that reminded me of a pterosaur, red dominating the colour scheme rather than orange, and was Rank Five with 2600 Attack Points.

Caden and Caswell would become worried for my well-being:

"2600 Attack Points?!"

"Oh no, that's enough to eliminate Addy from the Duel Carnival!"

...Of course, while their anxieties may have risen, I felt a new rise of excitement within myself, a slight smirk forming on my face. Noticing that I wasn't cringing in fear, Striker asks me with a raised brow,

"What's with the brave look?"

"Simple: Whenever I see a strong opponent, I get excited."

He seemed taken aback by my answer, but nonetheless got on with his turn.

"Go, Playmaker: Attack Zubaba Buster!"

Astral cuts in to remind me of my cards:

"Athena, you have a Trap to play."

"That I do, and now's a good time as any! I activate the Trap, Half Unbreak! With this in play, my Buster can't be busted, and I only take half damage, so go ahead and hit me with your best shot!"

My monster becomes incased in a safety bubble, which Playmaker would punt the ball against hard, blasting an afterwave of power in my direction to shield myself from as my Life Points dropped to 900...But I wasn't worried: I was still in it to win it.

"Keh, was that the best Playmaker had to offer? A shame, really."

"Don't get cocky; more damage is coming your way! I activate Playmaker's ability: By using one Overlay Unit, Playmaker gets to attack again! And this time, it's gonna take on your strongest monster!"

"Nice plan, in theory that is! Need I have to tell you about Gogogo Golem's ability again? He can withstand an attack once per turn!"

In accordance to my counter retort, Golem manages to hold his ground and act as goalie...

"I'll just attack it again then!"

I knew that would be his next move, but it still hurt watching Gogogo Golem getting pixelized into oblivion by that dang soccer ball...Smiling sadly, I mutter mentally,

 _Thanks for sticking around as long as you could, Golem..._

"And I'll think I'll use my final Overlay Unit, for one more attack! Zubaba Buster's the only one left, so attack it, Playmaker!"

"Fat chance, ball boy, 'cause Half Unbreak's still in play!"

On that note, the bubble shield surrounds my monster again, leaving the ball to bounce off it, yet sends a wave of impact against my body to go flying backwards into the net as my Life Points drop to a dangerous 100!

"Addy, no!"

"It's alright, Tiff."

I got back to my feet with ease, sending a half-smile, half-smirk her way to show I was fine.

"That felt more like a flop onto my bed than a major shove...Besides, how can I feel crappy when I'm in the winner's circle?"

That caught Striker's attention in an incredulous manner:

"What're you talkin' about, 'you're in the winner's circle'? I just blasted your monsters and you only have 100 Life Points left!"

"So what? Those details don't mean much. As long as I believe in my team, the outcome will always be bright."

Now that definitely broke through into the boy across the way, and I see a smile form on his face...But commenting on that would have to wait.

"Okay, it's my turn, isn't it? I Draw! First, I summon Gagaga Girl!"

She jumps to the field ready to help in this battle...and wound up in a cheerleader uniform thanks to Stadium of Dreams, making me fight back the urge to snicker.

 _Oh good grief..._

"Just 1000 Attack Points? How on earth is that gonna help you?"

Striker's expression of amusement was short-lived after I discreetly gestured a head nudge to my monsters...replaced with a look of realization to contrast my little grin.

 _Two Level Threes, dude~..._

"Well done, Athena. Now you can XYZ Summon."

It made me feel a little proud of myself to hear the praise from Astral.

"Thanks. (Looks ahead) You see? A little teamwork goes a long way, Striker! I Overlay Level Three Zubaba Buster, and Gagaga Girl!"

They shift into orange and purple streams of light to go diving into the red vortex forming in front of me...

"With the Overlay Network built, I can finally have a turn in XYZ Summoning, and as you'll hear, this monster knows how to strum a beat. Come to the stage, Muzurhythm the String Djinn!"

A few chords later, we would all be graced with the sight of my Rank Three monster with 1500 Attack Points and the appearance of a short, mysterious guitar minstrel with a rose in his mouth and a horned fedora.

"Next from my hand, I play the Eqiup Spell, Giant Hunter on Muzu!"

Astral compliments me further:

"Nice work, Athena. Now Striker cannot use Spell or Trap Cards until the battle is over this turn."

Muzu strums out a few notes to go bouncing off my opponent's face-down, forcing it into a frozen state, much to his dismay.

"Wait! But that means I'm not allowed to use my Offiside Trap!"

"Right as rain, smarty. Also, when a monster equipped with Giant Hunter attacks, and I have less Life Points than my opponent, their monster's Attack Points get split down the middle."

Just as I say that, Playmaker's strength dove down to 1300...

"Aw, there goes my offense!"

I don't bother to hide my smug smirk as I call back,

"Oh it's only gonna keep goin' downhill from here, I'm afraid. I now activate Muzurhythm the String Djinn's ability! Using one Overlay Unit, when he attacks your XYZ, his strength is doubled. This is where the solo rift really gets cranked to ten!"

My monster leaps into the air playing his double-necked guitar, and whirls around and around in a mini tornado...

"Take it to Playmaker, Muzu!"

One strong kick was all it took, and Playmaker was out of the game, along with Striker who goes flying back so hard he rips through the net alongside the ball!

 _"Gooooooooooaaaaaaaaaalllllll!"_

 _Score!_

"Goaaal! Athena comes from behind in an unbelievable finish! Alright, Addy; wayta go, hooray!"

Tiffany and her girls were right behind Cade in their cheers:

"Addy Addy, won the duel, took that boy right down to school! Yaaaaay, Addy~!"

I shook my head in amusement from the somewhat lame routine:

 _Hoh boy, this better not be the start of Tiff's cheerleader career, or I might have to have a little 'discussion' with her..._

Astral's voice would snap me back to the real world:

"You did it, Athena! You won!"

"Sure did, and I couldn't have done it without my team, the full team. Thank you, Astral."

He smiled slightly at me and nodded just as the AR World faded away, leaving me back in my clothes from before, much to my relief.

"Hoh, thank god, now I'm not in that sport jersey anymore..."

My ears then pick up on the sound of a groan, and my focus turned back to Striker as he removed his gazer with a down expression. I smirked a little in a sympathetic manner, before making my way over with my friends trailing behind me...

...What I almost didn't expect, was Striker's next phase of his reaction to the duel's outcome, which was a good laugh aloud. I rose a brow with a upturn of lip closer to a smile and asked casually,

"What's the joke, man?"

"The joke is that you were right: I haven't turned my back on Soccer. It's still my passion...but it took this duel to realize that."

To hear that from him made me feel good for the both of us.

"Nice to know your temper's comin' into check."

He gets up onto his feet so we were at eye-level as he added a bit humbly,

"I also learned something else from watching you, Athena: Teamwork. I finally saw how it really works...Hm?"

We pivot our heads to our respected lefts and rights upon hearing footfalls approaching our way, and saw his older brothers, Dempsey and Donovan, who were smiling proudly at their younger sibling.

"Is that so, Striker? Then maybe it's time you return to the pitch,"

"And be part of our team, bro."

Striker was taken aback, but in a good way:

"Do you, really mean it?"

"We sure do, Striker. After all, we're family, and that's the closest team of them all."

I nodded to myself in acknowledgement of that notion:

 _Damn right, and once your friends become family, that team only gets bigger..._

"I realize that now, and I promise you both that I'll never forget it."

A collective smile of brotherhood spreads between the three, and I noted,

"Think this a case of 'You lost but won'."

"Yeah, but you're always winning when you believe in your teammates. I can't thank you enough, Athena."

We clasp eachother's hands in a friendly way as I reply back,

"No thanks necessary, and I know you're gonna grow into a soccer star to be proud of...Mm?"

I feel something in my palm, and break the grip to find Striker's Heart Piece in my hands.

"And you, a Duel Champion."

"...Duel Champ, huh? Heh, maybe. I at least have as good a shot as everyone else..."

I clicked the fake jewel into the brass frame, making the total count of two out of five.

 _And only three more to go..._

"It'll be a hard climb to the top, but I'm willing to put in the hard work and sweat, so look out fellow duelists, 'cause Athena Fujina's coming!"


	28. Excavating Past the Stereotype of Height

"Um, Addy? Are you, sure we're safe scoping around here?"

"'Course I'm sure. I've explored places like these in the past without any issues...Mind you, it was usually when none of the machines were running."

"Haaah, somehow, I knew you'd say something like that..."

We're now about two or so hours into the first day of the World Duel Carnival Preliminaries, and we find ourselves zooming in on a massive construction complex within Heartland City, where Athena was leading Tiffany through after parting ways from Caden and Caswell shortly after the former's duel with Striker to continue her search and collection of Heart Pieces...

Mind you, only one out of two girls was confident in navigating between the skeletal framework of the unfinished skyscraper.

"As long as we avoid the main machinery and don't run into the workers, we'll be fine. Trust me: Most of these sites are built with a similar blueprint and exit-entrance points."

"If you say so. I just don't wanna become a part of another workplace safety violation."

Astral cuts into the girl's conversation with his own questions of curiousity.

"Why is she so nervous? What exactly happens at this place called a 'construction site'?"

The girl with red irises replies dryly,

"Eh, mainly architectural work. The plan for this site in particular is a new shopping mall, which according to Yoko, is supposingly going to join the ranks of 'biggest in the world'...I honestly find the idea of a new mall a little ridiculous, I mean come on: Heartland's already got enough places to shop at as it is."

The trio was soon entering another higher level of the gutted building, and all the banging from the various machines down below was starting to get to the girl with black bobbed hair.

"A-Addy, how much further do we need to go?"

Athena peers down over the railing for the walkway they were currently standing on to determine their location.

"Hmm...I see an exit point at least a couple floors down and several yards from where we are. Should be about, twenty minutes or so?"

She notices the nervous expression on her friend's face, and flashes a smile of reassurance.

"Hey, it'll be fine; we're in a relatively safe area of the building."

...But those words would come to bite the girl with long shaggy black hair tipped copper red with a vengeance just a few seconds later, when three pieces of a girder suddenly come diving from somewhere higher up!

"Guh! Tiffany!"

Said girl lets out a small scream while cowering down to cover her head to embrace for impact...before being yanked forward by Athena just as a large excavator comes charging in to whack the girders away...!

"Don't just duck down, you idiot!...Thank god that excavator was he-Oh shit!"

The girl with red irises cuts herself off when she notices that the mass machine showed no signs of stopping, before gripping Tiffany's wrist to tug her along in a run to escape being rolled over. Wiping away the last of her shock, the latter retorts,

"Relatively safe my left foot! I'm gonna be giving Akira an earful next time we see him for suggesting this so-called 'dueling hotspot'!"

"Hey, don't blame him; how was he suppose to know this place would be buzzing with construction activity today?!"

Yes: Apparently, the reason for the two girls and celestial being to come to such an area was of a supposed tip from an acquaintance that spoke of a few duelists enlisted in the WDC hanging around this part of the city...

Anyway, they ran until they reached a strong, stable piece of the framework that would more than likely prevent the machine from following.

"Jump!"

Athena and Tiffany sprang through the opening and slid to the ground of the walkway on the other side...

(CRASH)

And just as predicted, the excavator would go smashing against the girders, the glass windows shattering to pieces!

"Hah, hah, hah, you okay, Tiff?"

"Hah...yeah, I'm, okay..."

Shaking her head, Athena thinks to herself with a mix of relief and irritation,

 _Man, that was too close for comfort..._

 _Where'd that excavator come from, anyway, and where'd the driver get their license from, crash test dummy school?_

She would soon receive her answers, when a young male voice comes calling down as they exit from the driver cockpit.

"You numbskulls aren't wearin' helmets! Don'tcha guys know that construction sites are dangerous places?...Gah!"

He then fumbles on his feet and goes tripping onto the ground below, giving us a better view of his appearance. He was a young teen about as tall as Flip, perhaps half an inch or so taller, with pale peach skin, light peanut brown hair styled upward in a spiky way, sharp magenta-brown eyes standing out with his equally prominent eyebrows, and wore an outfit consisting of an orange-yellow t-shirt under a purple-red vest, tan pants held up with a simple belt, black/orange boots, long orange wrist bands, and a simple beaded necklace. The white construction helmet he was wearing on his head previously was now hanging behind him by a strap.

Sitting up with a sigh, the boy then says,

"Sorry for almost turning you into pancakes. I saw the beams fallin' and went to hit 'em outta the way, and then accidentally put the excavator into gear, and I couldn't reach the dumb pedal to stop it."

Taking in their full appearance and cooling down most of her surprise, Athena fires back with a raised brow,

"I'm sorry, but aren't you technically in as much fault as we are for wandering 'round a place like this? Unless you can show me your worker's license, I'm not buying your crap."

"Hey, watch it, smart-mouth! Cody Callis does not talk crap!"

Said young man folds his arms with a hmph while glaring at the girl with red irises, she mirroring his expression...Tiffany rolls her eyes with a sigh before speaking up:

"Excuse my friend here; she has a bad habit of being a smart alack...Anyway, it's nice to meet you, Cody. I'm Tiffany, and she's Athena."

She smiles brightly and adds,

"Thank you for your attempt to rescue us. That was really brave of you."

...Cody felt his face heat up with a blush from the sweet compliment, prompting Athena to ask with a more relaxed demeanor,

"Yo, you alright, dude?"

He tries to brush it off with feigned irritation:

"Tch, dauh, what's everyone lookin' at?!"

Meanwhile, Astral's mismatched irises cast down to a small metal nut on the ground, fueling more fascination towards his current surroundings...

A couple minutes later, the small group of three turned four would be overlooking a large dump truck hauling in a load of dirt for another section of the ground foundation, directed by a LitterBot acting for traffic control. Athena comments,

"Wooow, never seen a dump truck that big before..."

"Oh, that's Gracie. She can haul like, 300 hogs."

"Uhm, that's construction talk for tons, right?" Cody replies,

"Yeah, or at least that's what my old man and his crew refer to."

"You're dad's a foreman, then?"

He nods with a proud smile at Tiffany:

"Yep, for this site and a couple others across the city."

Athena remarks with a slight smirk,

"Heh, that would explain where your terminology comes from, but then again, kids usually pick up on alot from their parents."

 _I certainly did from my own folks..._

"This concerns me..."

"Hm?"

She looks up in front of her to see Astral fixating his gaze on a few metal support beams.

"Those enormous beams over there, appear to be held up by no more than a few metallic pieces. That strikes me as a precarious arrangement."

Since she couldn't really explain the concept aloud without one of the other three looking at her strangely, Athena chose to U-turn back on it later and moved onto another subtopic regarding this site.

"Say, Cody, you know the name of that large machine over there?"

"Oh that's Barnaby: That thing could lift a mountain."

The girl with bobbed black hair held up by her daisy hair clip on the left fringe looked up at the apparatus in question, namely, a tower crane, with a nervous smile.

"I certainly don't envy whoever's working that monstrosity. That's way too high off the ground for my liking."

Athena rolled her eyes slightly before replying cheekily,

"That's 'cause you're a chicken when it comes to heights."

"Am not!"

"If you say so~...I wouldn't mind going up somethin' like that. It'd be hella cool to operate."

Cody replies to her with a smile,

"Because it would make you feel super-strong, right? Yeah. That's pretty much why I decided to step up and compete in the World Duel Carnival."

The girls formed surprised expressions, not expecting their new friend to be a fellow competitor, and he goes on with his reasoning.

"I may be a little guy, but when I'm dueling, and controlling these powerful monsters, I feel bigger than I am. Makes me feel like there's nothing I can't do."

Athena smiled a bit and shared in the sentiment:

"Dunno about the whole control bit, but I understand the feeling of being on top of the world when you duel."

"So-uh, does that mean in the Duel Carnival?"

"Sure am."

The boy with light brown hair's smile shifts into more of a smirk as he turns to face the girl with long, shaggy raven hair tipped copper red.

"Re~ally? Well I hate to break it to ya, but no one stands a chance against by Heavy Machinery Deck."

"Tch, that confident, are we? Might just hafta test that statement of yours with my own deck."

"O~h, sounds like a challenge."

Athena's mouth curved into a friendly smirk:

"You better believe it. Let's get it on, (throws up her duel disk) and find out whose cocky attitude trumps who! Duel Disk: Go!"

She then snaps on her gazer:

"Duel Gazer: Show me the impossible! Heh, somethin' tells me this new chapter'll be interesting. Better not disappoint, Cody!"

 **Augmented Reality Vision Link Established.**

"(Both duelists) Now let's Duel!"

The boy with magenta-brown irises would take the lead initiative in this newest battle.

"You ready to rumble? I'm goin' first; I Draw! And I'm kickin' things off by summoning a monster! Here comes, Jumbo Drill!"

The first monster we would see in this duel read as a Level Four with 1800 Attack Points, and held the appearance of a blue metal machine with two large multi-point drill arms.

"Next I'm activating the Charging Construction Spell Card! Since I summoned Jumbo Drill, Charging Construction lets me bust out another heavy hitter in Defense Mode. Get ready to tremble under the sheer awesomeness, of my mighty Road Roller!"

Another Level Four monster comes rushing onto the field, with 2000 Defense Points displayed, their appearance being a yellow Roller Compactor.

"And now I activate Jumbo Drill's special ability: Since Road Roller's on sight, Jumbo Drill gains 300 Attack Points."

Athena watched her opponent's plays with a careful eye but a somewhat playful smirk.

"Hm, so he's a leaner towards heavy offense, eh? Interesting, yet I should expect that considering his deck..."

Astral comments back,

"Your response is certainly one I did not expect. Your opponent just summoned two monsters..."

"Tch, I know that; I'm not blind."

Cody finishes his first turn:

"I now end my turn by throwing one card face-down! Bam! Now you're gettin' to see what my mighty machines are all about."

"Yeah? Well here's where you see what I'm all about! My Draw! First, I summon Gagaga Magician to the field!"

Astral felt he had to remind the girl just what she was currently up against.

"Athena, look at the Attack Points of your opponent's monsters. I am sorry to say, that Gagaga Magician can't put a dent into them."

"Maybe not now, but he'll stand a better chance after an Equip Spell. I activate from my hand, Bound Wand! Whenever a monster's got a hand on this baby, their Attack Points increase by 100 for each of their Levels. In which case, Gagaga's power is now sittin' pretty at 1900!"

It was the girl's opponent's turn to comment on the strength difference that was still present despite the light increase.

"Eh, that's a pretty neat stick and all, but your magician still isn't strong enough to put a dent into either of my mighty machines."

"You sure about that?"

Cody's brow rose in confusion, as Athena's smirk grew slightly before she says,

"I now activate Gagaga Magician's special ability! Once per turn, I can shift his Level from One to Eight, which in this case, I'm crankin' all the way up to Eight, giving him another 400 Attack Points thanks to Bound Wand!"

In which case, the spellcaster's strength rose to 2300...Astral's lips quirked up slightly with a nod of approval:

"Very good; you know what to do from here."

"Uh-huh. Gagaga Magician: Attack Jumbo Drill with Gagaga Magic!"

The magician charges forward with his Bound Wand at ready, and Cody would face the challenge unafraid.

"Bring it on, 'cause I'm playing the Trap Card, Foreman's Fury, so now 1000 of your magician's Attack Points are about to disappear!"

A shot of fire is blown from the card to blast against Gagaga Magician, robbing him of his strength to leave him at only 1300 Attack Points!

"No way!"

"Oh yes way!"

A drilled arm from Jumbo Drill goes flying to nearly impale the spellcaster, destroying him in a cluster of pixels, while Athena's thrown back by the after-impact as her Life Points diminish to 3200. Tiffany cries out the former's name from the sidelines, while Astral instructs,

"Use Bound Wand's effect, now, Athena!"

"Grh, right. I activate Bound Wand's effect! Now the monster equipped with this card is able to return to the field after the battle ends."

"That will help, but the situation is still dire...You should focus on defending: That way, you will not take Battle Damage if your magician is destroyed again."

Athena bopped her head up and down slightly in agreement as she fully stood upright.

"Fair point; I'd rather be minimally tossed about like a rag doll if I can help it...I'm returning my magician in Defense Mode!"

In which case, instead of his usual 1500 Attack Points, it would be Gagaga's 1000 Defense Points on display as he rose from the hex circle connecting the battlefield to the Graveyard...

"Then I place one card face-down, and end my turn. You're up, Cody."

Said boy with the peanut shell-shaded hair felt a smile of amusement form on his lips at seeing what his opponent's line of defense was.

"Do you seriously think you can defend against the power of my heavy hitters? (Grin) Let's find out! I Draw! I'm summoning Strong Shovel Excavator to join me on the job site!"

True to the description in its title, this Level Three monster with 1800 Attack Points mirrored an regular excavator machine, but with teeth in the shoveling mechanism on its front, and two metal claws on its side.

"Now that Strong Shovel has dug in, Jumbo Drill gains another 300 Attack Points..."

So now that monster's total stood at a strong 2400...

"And now Strong Shovel's gonna dig its way into Gagaga Magician!"

Astral softly cries out Athena's name as the monster excavator started its charge, to which she would answer to calmly and with no hesitation.

"I activate my Trap, Half Unbreak!"

A large soap bubble flows out from the face-up card to engulf the spellcaster protectively just before the teethed shovel could crush him...!

"With this trap, my monster's safe from being destroyed this turn, and any damage that could've been dealt my way would've been cut in half."

Cody admits halfheartedly,

"Not too bad there. You and your monster got through that without so much as a scratch..."

He then forms another smirking grin as he adds in a teasing taunt,

"Well then, guess I'm gonna have to find some other way to hammer you into the ground."

Athena smirks back and retorts,

"Oh by all means, give it your best shot, even though Half Unbreak's effect will remain in play."

"Too bad that's not gonna stop Jumbo Drill from attacking...and Jumbo Drill's got a special ability!"

The largest drill bit on the monster's charging arm starts grinding against the bubble shield...

"When your magician's in Defense Mode, and Jumbo Drill's Attack Points are greater than your magician's Defense Points, the difference is dealt to you as damage!"

So while Gagaga Magician may have been saved from the blunt end of the stick, Athena was not, flinching back as sparks of power from the drilling impact shoot her way, her Life Points depleting down to 2500.

"Hehahaha! You see that? That's what my machines are all about: Just tearing down anything dense enough to stand in their way!"

Yet even with that in mind, Jumbo Drill wasn't without its own faults, as evident by the sudden shift to its very weak 100 Defense Points right after finishing their attack, much to Athena's confusion.

"Hm? Uh, what's with the sudden mode shift; that an aftereffect?"

This seemed to fluster her opponent a little, as evident by the light blush of embarrassment.

"Oh, uh, thing about Jumbo Drill is that after it attacks, it's gotta go on the Defense until the end of my next turn. (Awkward smile) Mandated Union Break, I guess, hehehehe, i-it's construction humour..."

"I, see...Sounds like a bit of a bum disadvantage unless you use it right."

"Hey, if you want heavy machinery to do what heavy machinery do best, maintenance is a must! It's like my dad always says, Heartland City wasn't built in a day!..."

Sensing that his yammering might go on for a bit longer, Astral gets Athena to clue in on the open opportunity.

"This is your chance; do not waste it." She snaps out of her daze and quickly replies,

"Gah-uh, right! It's my turn, ain't it? I Draw! First things first, I'm switching Gagaga back into Attack Mode...Next, I summon Mystical Donator to the field!"

This Level Two monster with 800 Attack Points was on the smaller side compared to others, and held the appearance of a bishop in sky blue robes decorated with powder blue stars and trimmed with yellow, holding a thick book under his arm...

"Mystical Donator's got the most selfless heart around. Once per turn, he willing sacrifices his Attack Points to either a fellow monster to increase their strength, or to me to add onto my Life Points. For this turn, I'll have him give up his strength to Gagaga Magician."

On that note, the spellcaster receives his gift from the little bishop, his strength rising to 2300 Attack Points, much to Cody's dismay.

"Nagh, nuts and bolts!"

"Gagaga Magician: Attack Strong Shovel Excavator!"

One punch eliminates the machine from the field, and their wielder goes flying backwards onto the floor as his Life Points decrease to 3500...

"I place another card face-down, and end my turn, which means Gagaga Magician and Mystical Donator's strengths return to normal."

As she settles back to pass the turn baton to her opponent, Athena adds as an afterthought,

"Your monsters certainly pack power, Cody, but just remember that Dueling is much more than sheer strength on its own."

"Interesting. What else is there besides power?"

She raises a brow at Astral for asking such a question:

"I would think you of all people would know that answer already. Brawn can only really help you if you pair it with Brain."

"By which, you are referring to tactics and strategy?"

"Exactly! It's naive to believe you can win if you're big and powerful..."

"And what would you know about it?!"

The pair snap away from their conversation to the sound of their opponent's outburst, he rising to his feet with his magenta-brown irises blazing from a contained anger at something that was clearly outside this duel.

"Two guys suddenly get into a fight, then the bigger one wins; the bigger one always wins!"

The girl with red irises was taken aback by the major shift in emotions.

"Whoa whoa, back up a sec! What are ya goin' on about?"

Though lowering his volume ever so slightly, Cody's temper over the unveiling subject did not cool.

"Half-pint, Short-stack, Small Fry. Oooh, I've been called all sorts of names! Back in Elementary School, the big kids always made fun of me. Pushed me around, took my lunch money...One day, I was lookin' at a job site my dad was workin' at, watching the machines doin' their thing, and that's when it hit me. You know who stands up to a Bulldozer?...No one, that's who, 'cause you don't mess with power! People respect power when they see it; they get scared by it..."

He forms a more firm grin on his face, sure of his goals:

"Me and my machines, we're gonna show the World Duel Carnival what power's all about! Then we'll see how many people will be calling me Little Stuff, Bite-sized or whatever!"

The young man would be thrown completely off guard by the following monotone response.

"...I don't respect power."

"Hn?!"

Athena's eyes had been narrowing with every bitter word she heard spew from Cody's mouth, and by the end, she was a little more than a mix of annoyed and frustrated.

"I find power to be overrated and stupid, least in the manner you're speaking. Respect through fear? Ha! A joke if a ever heard one! You have to earn someone's respect to truly receive it, which your tormentors obviously never did, and what you're not doing right now. Cody, you're heading down a bad path: Don't let something as dumb as being big and strong blind you."

Her two friends present found themselves staring at the girl in some shock for her words, while her opponent on the other hand...felt the words go flying over his head like a strong gust of wind, before contorting his face into his own expression of aggravation.

"Grrrrh, I'll show you who's blind! (Swipes up a card) Ha! To kick things off, I'm activating the Scrap and Build Spell Card! Scrap and Build gives me the go-ahead to summon a low-level machine-type monster straight from my Graveyard, so Strong Shovel's gonna pull a double shift! Oh, and when this card's summoned from the Graveyard, it gains a Level!"

In which case, Strong Shovel Excavator rises back onto the field as a Level Four...

"Next up, I'm activating another Spell Card, Overhaul! This doozy approves work efficiency across the board by allowing me to grant all my monsters on the field an additional level!"

Athena felt herself growl with anger as she watches both machine-types become Level Five Monsters.

 _Why do I get the feeling he's about to do what I think...?_

"I hope you're ready, 'cause you're about to see real power..."

Astral says to the girl worriedly,

"Athena, this is bad...!"

"Ya think?!"

"I overlay Level Five Jumbo Drill, Road Roller and Strong Shovel Excavator!"

The three machine-type monsters transform into contrasting streams of orange light to go diving into the red vortex opening up in front of their wielder.

"With these three monsters, I build the Overlay Network! Here comes the awe-inspiring, pulverizing...the ultimate machine in my crew!...I XYZ Summon, Digvorzhak, King of Heavy Industry!"

This Rank Five monster was quite the behemoth machine, comprised of many elements from various types of construction vehicles, while also carrying a pounding 3200 Attack Points!

"Holy-That's a ridiculous-strong machine!"

"Sure is! When you hafta absolutely demolish something, accept no substitutes!"

Athena's POV

 _Okay okay, ease up, Addy, don't go into the worse case yet._

 _Just because this thing's ginormous doesn't mean it won't have a weakness or two. Just have to find it..._

"Athena, that monster is strong." I reply sarcastically,

"Nooo, really? Never would've guessed," costing an annoyed gaze from him to bore into my skin...

"I now activate Digvorzhak's special ability! By using one Overlay Unit, Digvorzhak can knock three cards outta your deck, and haul them off to the Graveyard!"

 _Auh, that's what I call a dirty ability!_

The cards this round to fall victim would be Gogogo Golem, Goblinbergh, and Blustering Winds...I cursed under my breath, but apparently this was just the start of my problems, as Cody informs me.

"Now for every monster that was sent to the Graveyard, one monster on your field is destroyed."

"What?! Auh crap, that means-"

"That means your field's about to become a demolition site...Go, Melting Mover!"

The stupid-big machine starts its engines, before charging forward with its crane arms held up to mow down on both Gagaga Magician, and Mystical Donator!

 _No!_

Tiffany cringes to herself with worry, her knees knocking together and hands locked in a prayer position.

"Addy..."

I do my damnedest to remain brave for the both of us, but a bit of anxiety slipped out from behind my mask to make my forehead crease and my teeth clench.

"Dammit, I gotta figure out an alternative, or that thing's gonna bury me alive in the rubble..."

Astral speaks to me to try and assist in curbing any rise of fear:

"Just remain focused, Athena."

I nodded with a swallow, just as Cody calls out,

"Alright, Digvorzhak, it's full-throttle time!"

Next thing I knew, that machine monster started blaring its deep horn and revved its engines so loud, the sound was practically bouncing off the unfinished walls! I quickly moved to clamp my hands over my ears:

"Agh! That's way too loud! Mrh...feels like my ear drums are gonna burst...!"

 _How the hell has Cody not gone deaf using this card?!_

What's worse is that the noise was so consuming, I could barely make out the sound of Astral calling to me to do...well, something. I couldn't understand what he was trying to tell me.

"What?! I can't hear you, Astral! Say that again?!"

His voice was really muffled, so I could only really make out him calling my name, then saying I needed to...again, do something.

"Do what?! I still can't hear you!"

 _God, talk about miscommunication..._

What would save the both of us in the end was when he employed the tactics of that classic game of Charades, gesturing one of his palms to...flip upward?

 _Wait...Ooh, now I got it!_

"Activate the Trap!"

Astral gives me the thumbs-up to show I got the message correctly, so I scramble to use the card on my side of the field.

"I activate the Trap, Small Resistance! When your monster attacks, I can choose a Level Four or below monster with 1000 or fewer Attack Points, and your monster loses that same amount! I choose Mystical Donator, which means Digvorzhak loses 800 Attack Points!"

As soon as my little bishop rose from the Graveyard for that moment, that mass machine's strength dropped to 2400.

 _Might not be much, but I'll survive another round, at least..._

The pulley crane arm still comes whacking against me, of course, and I flew backwards with a yelp as my Life Points fell to 100, much to Tiff's dismay.

"Athena!"

Cody was a bit impressed by my abilities:

"You somehow keep managing to survive my attacks. You won't be so lucky next turn!"

I rose back onto my feet with a grunt, before looking over my current hand with a poker face.

 _Alright, crunch time: I'm at the end of my rope with 100 Life Points, so it's gotta be this turn to counterattack..._

 _Now then...how to take that colossal machine down..._

"What is that machine made of?"

"Hm?"

I turn to Astral in confusion from his question, before cringing in irritation from that monster's horn again...which would once again make verbal communication difficult.

"Astral, I didn't catch that last bit!"

Sighing to myself in frustration, I look down at nothing while grumbling to myself,

 _Days like this where he's more irritating than a malfunctioning alarm clock..._

"And there are days where you are more stubborn than a bull."

...Now that was something I didn't miss:

"Hey, watch it, you-...Wait a minute...I actually heard you that time."

 _Uh! Just like...at that door, and inside the key._

"You remember, do you? Yes: I felt for this situation that Telepathy would be best."

Smiling sheepishly, I reply back in my mind,

 _Ah-heh, yeah, no kidding. Better this than both of us losing our voices in a screaming match..._

His lips curved upward slightly at my joke:

"Agreed. This certainly saves us both from an unnecessary migraine...Now that I have got you, I have made the following observation about this place known as a construction site. These gigantic structures that you humans make, are comprised of many individual parts."

 _Mhm, that's, kind-of part of how foundation works..._

"Take for instance that hexagonal piece by your foot."

I look down where he was pointing, and wound up picking up a tiny metal nut.

 _This nut? What about it?_

Astral patiently explains:

"Consider how tiny that piece is, and yet, it will contribute to the support of this colossal structure."  


We glance around at the site as well as Digvorzhak...

"Every piece plays an important role. Without even the smallest of components in the right places, the entire foundation would collapse."

 _Collapse...under weight...Ah! Of course, duh!_

My mind began spinning the gears towards a new plan, just as my opponent began suspecting I had lost my mojo to keep going.

"Wha'sa matter, Athena? Have you been frozen in place by awesomeness? Don't be hard on yourself. It happens to alot of people."

My mouth curves into a confident smirk:

 _Maybe so, but I'm not one of those people. Not today._

"I Draw!...Ha, yes, Kurivolt! Come on out to the field, little guy!"

My electrical bomb friend comes zapping up front and center, and as I suspected he'd be, Cody was amused by my choice of offense.

"Look at that dinky little pipsqueak...What's that runt gonna do to my machine? It's just gonna scratch its paint job!"

I frown at his hypocritical attitude, before calling back,

"I wouldn't be so quick to make fun of Kurivolt, 'specially after I activate his special ability!"

Heeding my words, my monster strikes out twin shots of electricity to snare my opponent's Overlay Units, much to his surprise.

"W-What's happening to Digvorzhak's Overlay Units?!"

"Lemme break it down simple for ya: Kurivolt's ability allows him to steal away your XYZ monster's Overlay Units, and change them into Kurivolt Tokens!"

"Are you serious? I-It can turn Overlay Units into monsters? (Small smirk) Well, ain't that somethin'. Still, how are those three little monsters gonna take down something like Digvorzhak?"

I hold out my next card and retort with a smart alack smile,

"Here's your answer: The Mini Guts Spell Card!...Alright, Kurivolt Tokens, charge in and do whatcha gotta!"

The two tokens on either side of the original Kurivolt fly up quickly to fasten themselves face-first onto different weak points of Digvorzhak...A minute passes, and they finish their work before falling back with dizzied expressions from all their energy placed into this sneaky attack.

 _Good work, you guys..._

Cody seemed to think otherwise, overconfident in his monster's strength.

"Hehahaha! Nice try, pal, but don'tcha see? Nothing can stop my ultimate machine! Especially not-"

He would cut himself off...when he spots several of the screws and nuts making the support for parts of his monster start to unscrew and fall out!

"Wha-?! What's happening to Digvorzhak?!"

Following that first wave of sabotage, the colossal machine then spurted coughs of smoke and sparks of electricity, giving a more prominent vision of total mechanical failure...

"Excellent work, Athena. By using Mini Guts, you were able to tribute two Level One Monsters, to strip his machine of Attack Points."

I nodded with a little smile matching Astral's, and I hear Tiffany mutter with a hopeful smile of her own,

"I knew Addy would find a way..."

Meanwhile, my opponent was on the verge of a panic attack:

"But, this ain't right! Those little monsters are so pathetic!"

 _Oh, the irony..._

Astral encourages me to keep going:

"You can finish this off right now."

"Sure can! Kurivolt, send Digvorzhak to the scrap heap!"

My little monster charges upward to stand just a couple feet from one of the huge spotlights on the huge machine...before striking it with his electrical blast, knocking out the last nut, and jump-starting the final demolition for Digvorzhak, the impact sending Cody backwards with a yell as his Life Points dropped to 3200...

"Then due to the other effect of Mini Guts, you take damage equal to Digvorzhak's original Attack Points."

(...Ka-BOOM)

The machine blows to kingdom come like a watermelon hit with TNT, and Cody coughs and sputters from the wave of dust and smoke splashing his body, as his Life Points are whacked down all the way to zero...!

 _And that, is how the little guy trumped the giant._

As the AR World fades to a close, I look over to see the boy I dueled pulling off his gazer with an expression of disbelieving frustration.

"...Daaauh, nuts and bolts! Something that small, isn't suppose to take down something that big!"

Pulling off my own gazer as Tiffany returns to my side with a cheery smile, I call back to Cody with a teachable smirk,

"Size never guarantees strength, my friend."

"...Whadda you mean?"

I gesture to this unfinished building and alliterate:

"Well, take this gigantic structure, for example. So many large parts, that are held together by even more smaller bits...All I'm saying is that the little guy label, doesn't always account for the greater potential."

He looks up all around the place...and a small smile of realization forms on his lips.

"...Greater potential, huh?"

We all move out of this area of the construction site to one that opened to the outside, where Cody would lightly toss me his Heart Piece to catch.

"Here ya go, Athena. Ya beat me, so my Heart Piece is yours now. Don't waste it."

I reply in good nature,

"Don't plan on it...and thanks."

I look down at the little bit of fake gem with Tiffany peering over my shoulder.

"Now you have three out of five, Addy."

Nodding, I think to myself as I put the piece into the framework,

 _Just leaves two more to go..._

"Ya know...I think I lost because I underestimated what little guys are capable of...which really means, I underestimated what I'm capable of."

Clapping a hand lightly against his shoulder, I chide,

"Hey, I get that. Believe it or not, I used to have similar issues back when I was younger...But then I learned something important just a little more than a year ago."

"Oh yeah, what's that?"

"...As long as you know yourself, everything will turn out fine."

Cody looks at me with a bit of awe...before nodding back with a firm smile of his own...

"Hey!"

That's when we all jump from the sound of a man's voice calling from above, and turn around to see a worker just a little taller than my new friend glaring down at us with a fist waving in the air.

"You know you're not suppose to be up here, Cody!"

The three of us down below mutter nervously,

"Uh, oh..."

"Oooh, not good..."

"This, is what I'd hoped we'd avoid."

"You could get hurt! Get outta here before ya dad sees you!"

He didn't need to tell us twice, and we all scrambled around to start speeding out of this complex, myself thinking with a cheeky grin,

 _Next time, we go at night._


	29. The Train of Love Never Slows Down!

It's been a little past half an hour since Athena and Tiffany said their goodbyes to their new friend Cody Callis in that construction complex area after he and the former went deck-to-deck in a duel, and we would find the girls sitting on a park bench sitting on the edge of a cobblestone strip that ran between some thin greenery and part of the city river to take a small break and collect their thoughts over where to go next, Astral hovering above and a foot or two in front of them.

...But the girl who was officially registered in the WDC, would quickly discover a minor problem regarding the Heart Pieces she has collected thus far in the Duel Monster tournament.

"Auh, crap, you gotta be kidding me! I win my third Heart Piece in this damn competition...and it won't go together with the other two?!"

Gripping the side of her head with a groan of frustration, Athena exclaims,

"Just when things were goin' smooth, it had to get more complicated! Why does the universe have to do these things?!"

Tiffany, who was fixing a small tear in the skirt of her mint green babydoll dress, replies calmly and with a sympathetic frown,

"Unfortunately, I had a funny feeling this might happen, given how many duelists are actually participating. Put that on top of the interchangeable shape of the iconic heart, there's likely gonna be thousands of different combos for the individual Heart Pieces. To be frank, it's lucky the first two you've won are fitting together properly."

Her friend just flopped back onto the bench beside her while throwing her head backwards with a moan, making her long, shaggy black hair tipped copper red bounce some before settling behind the seat...Astral then says to her,

"Not to pile it on, but, Heart Pieces are not the only thing we're here to win, if you'll recall. As you said, our main goal in entering the tournament is to retrieve Number Cards."

Athena glares up at the celestial being with annoyance and retorts,

"Well aware of that fact, thank you! Haaaah...but focusing on two objectives is not as easy as it looks. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't mind finding somebody with a Number Card to duel for, but if I wanna survive to the next day in the preliminaries and keep up the search, I also gotta scope out for Heart Pieces that'll work for my frame."

She then gets up, tugging her dark blue/black checkered, pleated skirt down straight again overtop her onyx skinny jeans, and readjusts her black leather jacket over her bright red tank top.

"Alright, I'm ready to get a move on again. You finished fixing your dress, Tiff?"

Snipping away the excess invisible thread with a pair of tiny sewing scissors, before stowing them into her small travel kit to put back into her casual grey backpack decorated with pink hearts, the girl with black bobbed hair nods before standing herself.

"Yep, all's good. You sure you don't want me to fix the patch on your jeans, though?"

"Nah, it's just the one corner that came undone, nothin' serious..."

...What the girls were unaware of, however, was that an unknown figure situated atop a nearby tall building was getting ready to interrupt the peace with a blast from what appears to a bulky rocket launcher aimed straight at them!

"Target acquired...Goodbye, Athena!"

(Ka-POW, shooooooooom...)

The ammunition goes streaming downward fast in a cloud of smoke and flash fire, which thankfully is not missed by the three beings down below!

"Uh!" "Aaaah!"

"Hit the deck!"

Athena quickly tackles Tiffany to the ground while Astral flew out of the line of fire, leaving the mini rocket to tear through the hard ground in a hearty explosion!

...As soon as the dust and smoke clears, the mystery assassin(?) - which we observe to have a young feminine frame - would see via duel gazer zoom that their bullseye had moved, cursing in a distinctively feminine tone.

"Nuts! Just missed her..."

Cringing slightly from the crash-slide to the concrete and brick, the girl with red irises removes herself from nearly straddling the other to glance behind her with agitation and surprise at the new crater in front of the park bench.

"Wh-Where the hell did that come from?!"

Sitting up, Tiffany asks with fear quivering in her voice,

"Y-Y-You don't think, that, might been...?"

Knowing where her friend's conclusion was heading towards, Athena shook her head immediately with a stifled growl.

"No...it wasn't him, or any of his followers. This would be considered overkill, even for Trilos."

 _And there's no way that was Kite or his mini-mech, Orbital. They don't fit the assassin-for-hire profile..._

 _So then who dunnit?_

She wouldn't have much time to begin wondering, when the mystery attacker tries to land a new hit with her rocket launcher.

"Grrrh, one more time!"

(Ka-POW, Ka-POW, Ka-POW)

Three more mini-rockets are fired, and hearing their approach from the air, Athena quickly narrows down their directional flight before scrambling to her feet and dragging Tiffany away in a sprint from the area.

"C'mon!"

(BOOM, BOOM, BOOM...)

The figure wielding the weapon was getting increasingly frustrated by the lack of immobility from her target of interest.

"Stay still, would ya?!"

Meanwhile, back below, said target tries asking Astral if his view of the current dilemma was any better.

"Astral, you've got a better vantage point; whaddo ya see?!"

"From what I can tell, you are under attack."

"...That's not what I meant! I mean, can you see where the shots are coming from-Agh!"

(BOOM)

She and Tiffany are nearly hit with another blast from above, and she wastes no time in directing a route that would hopefully give the small trio some cover.

"Quick, let's head for downtown!"

"R-Right!"

...Moving back to the roof just as the girls start rushing around a corner of a street, we see the attacker rise to her feet, giving us a better visual appearance.

As mentioned before, her stature suggests her to be quite young, likely around Athena's age group, skin tone falling under a pale peach pigment, orange-red hair cut in a wing-like style with two pieces that hung past her ears, with light magenta dyed into the top of her hair and a round blue hair clip on each side of her head, hawk yellow eyes, and wore an outfit consisting of a pink and white sleeveless shirt that extended past her waist, tight black shorts and boots that matched her top. She also wore a black/salmon red fingerless glove on her right hand that extended past her wrist, while her left arm occupied a black arm band that ran from wrist to near her elbow.

"You can run...but you can't hide; not from my hovercraft!"

Clicking a few buttons on her rocket launcher, the girl transforms the weapon into a transportation vehicle made for the skies, with round fans making up the wings of the craft.

"And we have, lift off! Uh-Uwaaaah!"

Though we would quickly learn that her flight skills are rather clumsy during the first bit of initial takeoff, nearly crashing into the river before struggling to gain altitude...

(BONK)

Which led her to whacking her forehead against the top of a lamppost...Ahem, but once she got the hang of things, the redhead became a pro, kicking off the side of a building to propel herself forward in the direction her 'target of interest' ran off to.

"There is no escape!"

Tiffany darts her head back to see the antagonizer only a couple yards behind her and Athena, prompting her to squeal,

"Aaah, they're right behind us, Addy; what'll we do?!"

As the girl with long black hair tipped copper red tries to come up with a plan, Astral says to her,

"I suggest running faster."

"Speed won't cover it for long!"

 _We need to throw that, girl's aim off for just a minute or so...Hm?_

She then spots a discarded piece of lead pipe on the ground near a pile of recyclables sitting in a corner of an upcoming alleyway.

 _Aha! That'll work!_

Athena darts over to snatch up the scrap metal just as the girl on the hovercraft cannon readies to fire again.

"Now, I've, gotcha!"

(Ka-POW)

"Don't you, WISH!"

(Toss...CLA-BOOM)

"Agh!"

The mini rocket collides with the piece of pipe, causing an explosion of smoke and metal bits mid-air, the impact forcing the young rocket sniper to go tumbling in a backward somersault! Athena wastes no time in grabbing Tiffany's hand to lead on the escape route:

"That move won't buy us alot of time; come on!"

"Whoa!"

The chase would continue for at least another two hours or so, with the pair of BFFs and one celestial being heading everywhere under the sun and then some to try and escape from the mystery assassin, from alleyways to underground sewer lines and even ducking into the local hospital. That last location seemed to be the only place their attacker wouldn't dare follow them into, giving them a small window of time to try and come up with a game plan...Unfortunately, even with the short brainstorm sessions, the redhead proved to be near-impossible to shake off, staying within a good line of fire for her cannon-hovercraft to blast at her targets. It was lucky that the three (seen by most of the planet as two) were able to dodge each mini rocket...

Eventually, we would find Athena and Tiffany climbing up a ladder to the top of a tower shaped like the top half of an hourglass.

"Hah, hah, hah...haaauh, made it."

Pulling herself up straight first, the girl with red irises then turns to grasp the other's hand to tug her up while stating a bit breathlessly,

"There's, no way, that crazy rocket girl's gonna find us, here..."

"I wouldn't be so sure!"

"Gh!"

Whirling on her heel and pushing Tiffany behind her, Athena glares up at the redhead who was now standing above them atop her cannon-hovercraft.

 _Damn it!_

"Any last words, 'cause now's the time fo-Uh-uaaaah!"

(Crash...)

But any intimidation was lost when the mystery teen loses her balance and goes falling to the ground with her weapon/transportation vehicle...

Despite the tension still lingering in the air from this last bit, Athena found herself snickering at the redhead's fumble in athleticism.

"Wow, aren't you coordinated?"

Growling slightly, the girl with hawk-like irises scrambles to her feet and holds out her cannon at ready.

"Quiet! I'm taking you out! You know you have it coming!"

Frowning, the other retorts with her hands on her hips,

"Oh do I? Well you certainly don't look like anyone I know or anyone associated with some bad people I've had the displeasure of getting to know, so how 'bout you elaborate on how I, 'have it coming' as you put it. Are you even sure I'm the person you're looking for?"

"Ha! I'm absolutely sure! I'd never forget you, Athena Fujina!"

Once her duel gazer was pulled off, Tiffany's brain felt familiarity click to the redhead's appearance.

"Huh? Wait...Anna? Anna, is that really you?!"

"Anna? You know her?"

The girl with cornflower blue irises turns to meet with red as she smiles and replies,

"Yeah, Anna Kaboom, from our elementary school class. She transferred out two years ago...You don't remember her?"

...Looking down at the ground, Athena replies almost bitterly,

"Not at all, though it's possible my brain may have been knocked more loosely than initially thought when I got abducted."

"Uh...Addy..."

Only the first three words of that response seemed to fully register to Anna's ears, which would cause her temper to flare.

"So I'm easy to forget?! Is that what you're suggesting, Athena?!"

She then shoves the other girl down and aims her cannon straight for the teen's chest!...Yet that didn't seem to really scare Athena, since she fixed her attention on the redhead's ignorance.

"No, and if you really knew me as you say you do, you should know that I'm still battling trauma from when I got taken two years ago! If we did know eachother, it's possible those memories might've been accidentally erased while I was struggling to put myself back together again!"

...That seemed to be an okay-enough answer for Anna, and she removes the cannon from Athena's chest while thinking to herself with a softer, slightly disbelieving expression,

 _She, was kidnapped, and, our memories might not be in her head anymore...?_

Tiffany coughs in an awkward-felt manner to try and steer the conversation back on topic.

"So, um, why exactly are you after Addy, Anna?"

Said girl replies with a bit of anger returning to her voice,

"I'm after her because I want to get my revenge."

"Revenge?!" "Wha-?!"

"Got that right! (Blush) For what she did to me, or, what she didn't do..."

Athena could only raise her brow with a confused expression:

"I, don't follow."

"Of course you don't, you oblivious girl! Though now I can pin some of it on possible amnesia, you're still the same as ever on this subject!"

"Hey-"

"Oh just shush!"

Looking at how flustered the redhead had now become, Tiffany felt her women's intuition beginning to spark.

 _Oooh dear, I think I might know what's going on here..._

"You...you never noticed me!"

"Noticed you? In what-(...Eyes widen) No...hang on, you don't mean-!"

"I do!...Putting glue on the bottom of your shoes, scribbling notes all over your duel disk, decorating your gym clothes with stickers. I even hid rocks in your Duel Fuel."

Hearing the longing tone in Anna's voice, Athena was steadily getting uncomfortable.

 _Oh, crap, is she another Jamal case?_

"S-So, in other words, you wanted, (gulp) m-me to...return your feelings?"

"Darn right! Can't believe it took you this long...How could you have not known that I was head-over-heels in love with you? That's why I was trying to get your attention...but nothing worked. Then, I had to transfer to another school!"

While Tiffany may have felt bad for Anna and her unrequited love, Athena felt only half her friend's level sympathy while another part of her felt annoyance.

 _Crap, I was right...God, why do I end up catching the attention of both boys and girls? This is Bianca B. all over again... _

_Not that I'm against same-sex relations or anything; Love is Love, after all...I just, don't have that attraction; least I don't think.  
_

She snaps out of her thoughts as Anna retells a blast from the past from before she had to move away from the academy district.

"I asked you to meet me after class...I waited and waited, but you never showed up...That's when I made this solemn vow."

Clenching her right fist tight, the redhead then exclaims with fury,

"I'll get you for this, Athenaaaaaaa!"

(Swing, GRASP)

Three gasps would be tossed into the air, directed at the girl who snatched up Anna's fist right before it could reach the ground near her head! Glaring hard at the redhead, Athena then shoves the other backwards so she could get up, not releasing the clenched hand...before suddenly jerking Anna forward so she'd hit the other's chest.

"Uh...!"

Anna felt a heavy blush dust her cheeks from the close contact...

(Swack)

"Oooooowwww!"

But would then be hopping and down from a new aching pain in her wrist previously holding her cannon after Athena snapped a karate chop against the joint, forcing the former to drop her weapon...

Feeling like the odd duck out and off to the side, Tiffany looks over at her BFF cautiously and awkwardly before asking,

"Um, Addy, was that...really necessary?"

"Tch, it was either that, or I could've kicked her hard enough that she'd go tumbling off the tower."

"Addy!"

"What? It's not like I did it or nothin'...But anyway..."

The girl with red irises turns her focus back on Anna as the latter blew some cool air onto her throbbing wrist, turning her own glaring hawk-yellow irises on the former, mini tears of pain threatening to form.

"That, really hurt! Why'd you-"

"Oh spare me your little conniption fit, toots. Worst you'll get is a bit of bruising...Now look: I've already got enough people riding up my ass for payback, and I don't wanna add a scorned woman to the list people's butts I'll be forced to kick. So, how 'bout we settle this little spat with something a bit less violent than both our imaginations?"

Holding her duel disk out, Athena suggests,

"Let's go one-on-one in a Duel."

Tiffany gapes a little in shock, while Anna's mouth curved into a smile of amusement, ignoring the throbbing in her wrist joint completely.

"A Duel, huh?"

"Addy, are you nuts?! Anna's interested in blasting you to smithereens, not Dueling!"

"...Works for me."

The girl with the ebony black bob gape widens further...The redhead then pulls out her own magenta pink duel disk at ready.

"Let's do this! It just so happens, I've always known how much you like Dueling, so I thought you might suggest this!"

Tiffany lets out an exasperated sigh but mutters in relief,

"At least Addy's not in any immediate danger now..."

But her worries would return in full force as soon as Anna suddenly proposed,

"However, if I win our match, then you have to become my girlfriend. That cool?"

...On the inside, Athena panicked slightly from such a suggestion...but on the outside, she remained calm and collected.

"Hmph, well I don't plan on losing, so, whatever."

Tiffany exclaims Athena's name in disbelief from the latter's willingness to agree to such a deal...And as for Astral, he felt as if something unpleasant had sunk into his chest from both the boastful proposal and nonchalant agreement, and his left hand curled into a tight fist to try and help curb this new emotion.

 _...What is this feeling? It, feels similar to that emotion that rose during Athena's duel with Caden...only stronger._

He snaps his mismatching white and gold irises on Anna as she exclaims,

"Alright, then let's get started!"

And as he watched both girls ready their dueling equipment, a mild glaring frown formed on the celestial being's face when he decides,

 _Whatever this feeling means, one thing is certain...I do not like this Anna person one bit._

 **Augmented Reality Vision Link Established.**

"(Both Duelists) Now let's Duel!"

To assist him in quelling the emotions churning within, Astral's thoughts then turn to what was driving this latest duel.

"Human Love is such a peculiar thing...(shakes head) and packs such serious fire power."

Anna would be taking the first move:

"I'll be going first, if ya don't mind! Here I go; I~ Draw! For my first move, I'm summoning Rocket Arrow Express!"

A water-like ripple billows over the atmosphere behind the redhead, before a large locomotive fit with a rocket ship on top comes speeding down train tracks to the field, Level Ten and with 5000 Attack Points! Athena and Astral were quite surprised to see a high-grade monster this quickly into the match, the former more so than the latter.

"What the hell?!"

"How is Anna able to summon such a strong monster on her first move?"

Said girl explains the conditions attached to her play:

"This card can only be summoned when I have no other cards on my field, so since my field was empty, voila~! However, to keep this card out here, I'll have to send five cards in my hand to the Graveyard each turn."

Athena's eyes widen in disbelief:

"What?! You'd give up your entire hand for one monster?!...God, and people say I'm reckless..."

"However, I can't attack on the turn Rocket Arrow Express was summoned, and when it's on the field, I can't put any other card face-down, so...I end my turn! You're up, Athena, so bring it on!"

Said girl with the fiery red irises curves her lips into her usual confident smirk.

"Ha, gladly. I Draw!"

"Athena!"

"Hm?"

She pauses for a moment after swiping up her next card to listen as Astral warns,

"Rocket Arrow is too powerful to attack this turn."

"Hm, right...In which case, I'll just get everything ready for the next one...I place one monster face-down in Defense Mode, and follow that with another card also face-down! That's it; your move, Anna!"

Said redhead makes a sound of annoyance at the other holding back, but shrugs it off with a smile.

"Playing hard to get, are ya? I'll fix that. I Draw! I choose to discard zero cards, which means Rocket Arrow's wrecked."

On that note, the massive locomotive explodes to bits right behind her, much to Astral's mild surprise.

"Oh my..."

"Next I'll place five cards face-down, and end my turn."

Athena made the 'hah?' expression and mutters aloud,

"...Okay, now, ya lost me: You allowed the destruction of a massively-powerful monster, leaving yourself wide-open for a direct attack, then placed almost all of your hand on the field?"

Meanwhile, the celestial being comments more to himself,

"I guess Love does work in mysterious ways..."

"Now come on, Athena, and give me your very best shot!"

Tousling her shaggy black hair tipped copper red back and forth in a head shake that read as 'Unbelievable...', said girl obliges Anna.

"Alright, but you're only making the end of this duel come faster...I Draw! First, I summon Gogogo Giant!"

The Level Four lanky golem titan with 2000 Attack Points drops to the field...

"Now, Gogogo Giant, attack Anna directly!"

"Wait, Athena, what about the five face-down cards?!"

"Those were all placed down in a haste, Astral; no way she actually has a plan for them!"

The redhead would quickly prove her opponent wrong:

"I destroy all face-down cards on my field! Go on, get lost!"

"What?!"

"See, what'd I tell ya-huh?!"

"Next, I'm gonna summon to the field, Snow Plow Hustle Russel! I'm allowed to summon it when you attack me directly, simply by destroying all the Spell and Traps Cards on my field...But enough talk: Let's just plow ahead!"

The next train-themed monster to come rolling down the tracks onto the battlefield would have a shovel attachment at the front, and was another high Level Ten, but with 2500 Attack Points. Athena curses,

"Damn, that plow train's got 500 over my golem...Gogogo Giant: Refrain from attacking!"

"Oh-hoh, you're not getting off that easy, Athena~. Snow Plow Hustle Russel, I'm activating your special ability! Now, you take 200 Points of Damage for every Spell or Trap Card I destroyed in order to summon it!"

"200 times 5...Shit, 1000 points of damage!"

The train 'plows' through all five of the cards to gather power, before sending a swirling snowstorm towards Athena, who flinches back from the bitter cold as her Life Points drop to 3000! Tiffany calls out her friend's name with worry, while Anna felt pumped that she took a good quarter out of her opponent's total.

"1000 down, and 3000 points to go!"

Growling slightly, Athena's red irises narrow in anger as she grumbles,

"Guess I'll have to give the girl some credit. She's not an idiot..."

Astral nodded in agreement with the thought:

"That does seem to be the case..."

And the redhead with hawk-yellow irises continued to boast:

"Yes! I'm so gonna win this, and soon you'll be mine, so let's hurry and finish this!"

Once again, that strange ache pulsated within the blue-skinned being's chest from the sure tone in Anna's voice, making him scrunch his face with a hand hovering over his heart in confusion.

 _There it is again...I know I have heard of the term for this feeling..._

 _Uh! Now I remember._

 _(Flash)_

 _He recalls a moment back during a normal lunch period at the Heartland Dueling Academy when he was actually out and about from inside the key, when the big group of friends decided to sit out in the front courtyard to eat and chat while catching a few glimpses of their fellow students engaging in a few friendly duels..._

 _"Athena?"_

 _Swallowing a bite of her bento, said girl dressed in the modified school uniform looks up and asks back,_

 _"Yes?"_

 _"Why is Jamal glaring at Caswell like that?"_

 _"Hm?"_

 _Glancing over where Astral was pointing, she sees her dark-skinned friend with the medium-short dreadlocks casting narrowed aqua irises with an envious pout over at the other boy with the bowl-cut blue hair and pear green eyes, the latter currently surrounded by about four girls in their year group who were practically cooing over him while holding their own duel disks to him, he blushing modestly with a smile as he took each one to look over..._

 _"Heh, oh that? Nothing more than a classic case of jealousy."_

 _"Jealousy?"_

 _"Yeah. It's when you're envious over someone else's accomplishments, like right now, Jamal's a bit jealous of Caswell for getting attention from some girls (and over homework of all things...). But, it can also refer to when you're feeling suspicious or distrusting to someone you feel is interfering with a relationship you have with someone you're close with."_

 _"Interesting...Is, that why Tiffany sometimes acts abnormal around Caden when he speaks with you?"_

 _Athena rose a brow, before replying uncertainly,_

 _"Uh, I guess. I don't really notice it much, to be honest...I mean of course, being jealous is, usually stereotypical to romantic relationships or pining over a crush, but that doesn't stand true in general. Friends, Family, Couples, Total Strangers...Anyone has the capacity to be jealous."_

 _(Flash)_

 _Is that it then? Am I, jealous of Anna?...But why?_

 _Is it because of her desire to have Athena as her, girl-friend? If so, why does that seem to bother me so greatly?_

"...Astral?"

"Uh!"

He snaps out of his mental pondering upon hearing his name being called, and looks over to his right to see one of the girls on his mind looking at him with confusion written on her face.

"Somethin' wrong? You were spacing out."

"Uhm...(Shakes head) No, it was nothing important..."

Getting back on track with the duel, he hovers a bit closer to her side and advises,

"You must be careful, Athena: I have a hunch that Anna is planning something big."

Though still slightly puzzled by the pause of attention, Athena shrugs it off for another time and just nodded.

"Yeah...which means we're gonna have to put our brains together to come up with a counter."

Holding a fist over her heart, Tiffany prays for her friend's victory.

 _Please, whoever is listening: Please guide Addy to the Winner Circle..._

Anna brings attention back on the action:

"Moving on! My Draw! And...hm~...It's just the card I wanted! Go, Special Schedule!"

A railway stoplight appears on the field, and it switches from red to green...

"Thanks to this Spell Card, I have the green light to summon one machine-type monster with 3000 or more Attack Points from my Graveyard in Defense Mode! So all aboard, 'cause Rocket Arrow Express is now back!"

Though the monster was now currently displaying zero points of defense, seeing the return of that high-level train made Athena and Astral a little uneasy.

"Hooooh crap..."

"Two Level Ten Monsters; this is not good...!"

"I know in years past, I could never get your attention...but I have a hunch, this next move will! I know Overlay Level Ten Rocket Arrow and Hustle Russel!"

The two contrasting-designed trains transform into twin orange streams of light, and barrel into the red vortex opening in front of Anna.

"And with this Overlay Network, I can now summon, an XYZ Monster! Appear, Superdreadnought Rail Cannon!"

This Rank Ten XYZ Monster was definitely on the towering side, made with two train engines making up the feet of the machine, while the rest was a bulk of giant brickwork likely biding their time to shift into a mass piece of weaponry, carrying an imposing 3000 Attack Points!

"Now that's a real railroader!" Astral exclaims after Athena,

"So this is what she's been angling for!"

Anna would not spare a detail about what this monster was capable of:

"And the best part of this choo-choo is the change it undergoes when I activate its ability!"

An Overlay Unit goes flying to crash its power over the monster...

"But don't take my word for it, see for yourself! Once per turn, by using one Overlay Unit, you take 2000 Points of Damage!"

The bricks move themselves out of the way so that a telescopic-like cannon was pointing outward straight at the waiting target, namely, Athena.

"(Wince) If was actually able to feel physical pain, I'd know this next blast is definitely gonna hurt..."

"Now, Superdreadnought, unload on Athena! Go, Cataclysmic Cannon Kablooie!"

The cannon unleashes a powerful laser beam, its power colliding right against the red-eyed girl's body, causing her to go flying backwards with an outcry as her Life Points took a nose-dive down to 1000! Tiffany cringes back with her hands over her head in worry:

"Ooooh no...!"

Anna of course, was ecstatic that she landed another devastating hit to her opponent.

"Yeah, yippee! I'm winning, I'm winning, I'm winning! You're just 1000 Points away from losing, Athena, and once you've lost, you know what that means~! For the rest of your life, you're all mine! So whadda ya say, gorgeous? Let's make that dream come true! Go, Superdreadnought: Attack Gogogo Giant and win this duel for me!"

The massive cannon-train began rolling forward with the intent on mowing down the golem...

"Look out, Addy!"

"I've got it, Tiff! I now play, Overlay Buster! Now my monster gains 500 Attack Points until the end of this battle!"

With 2500 Attack Points, the golem's sacrifice would not be in vain, and allowed her to keep going in the duel with 500 Life Points...

"Clever move, Athena. So you survive this turn. But I promise, you won't survive the next one."

Moving to steady herself onto one knee, said girl mutters to herself with a grit in her teeth,

"Much as I hate to say it, she might not be wrong. Unless I can figure out a way to knock that behemoth off the rail line, I'm gonna be run down by either its Attack Points or its special ability...What to do, what to do..."

"There is a way to prevail over Superdreadnought."

Athena flinches back slightly in a jolt as Astral appeared suddenly from above and upside-down.

"Yipe! Geez, I thought we had a talk about you not doin' that...But what are you proposing? Please, tell me what I need to do."

"I cannot just blurt it out. (Starts floating back) At least not without a proper drum roll..."

"Huh? Drum roll?...Ooh! I gotcha!"

Slapping her palms on the ground, the girl with long black hair tipped copper red propels herself upward in a flip, feeling ready to make a comeback.

"This duel ain't over 'til the AR Lady sings! I Draw! First, I summon Zubaba Knight!"

Said Level Three warrior comes spinning onto the field at ready.

 _"Zubabaaaa Knight!"_

"And after him, comes Rai Rider!"

The monster motorist speeds onto the field with an engine roar...

"Then, I Overlay both my Level Threes to XYZ Summon! Cue drum roll..."

The summoned Rank Three monster plays their rift, before emerging as a little elf-like being wearing a rimmed red hat that protruded horns, covering his short blue hair, the rest of his outfit coloured in a way that reminded you of the circus, big golden irises, and was wielding a very large drum set comprised of three snares and two basses!

"Welcome to the field, Tem-Tempo the Percussion Jinn!"

Anna scoffs amusingly and smugly at the difference of strength between the jinn and her train.

"Ha! He's only got 1000 Defense Points!"

"Perhaps, but I'd focus your worries on his special ability if I were you. See, when my Tem-Tempo uses an Overlay Unit, your XYZ Monster loses all of theirs."

"It does what?!"

"You heard me. And for every Overlay Unit sent to the Graveyard, Tem-Tempo gains 500 Attack Points."

The little jinn happily plays another solo as his Attack Points rose from 1700 to 2200...

"Now Superdreadnought's special ability's out of commission."

Astral notes,

"Correct, and since Tem-Tempo is in Defense Mode, we will not take battle damage either."

"Mhm...I end my turn with two face-downs! Your move, Anna, (devious smirk) _if you dare_."

Scowling and clenching her fist, the redhead barks back,

"You're not going to beat me! Make all the moves you please, Athena, but I'm going to win you yet!"

She swipes up her next card:

"It's my turn, I Draw! And first up, I'm activating the Spell known as Train Connection! Now, by banishing two Level Eight or above machine-type monsters from my Graveyard, I can equip Train Connection on a machine-type monster, and double its Attack Points so I can really stay on track!"

So with that done, Superdreadnought Rail Cannon now had Rocket Arrow Express and Snow Plow Hustle Russel attached for the 'feet', their power rising to an even higher 6000 Attack Points, much to Athena's dismay.

"Aw come on, really?! That's just out of bounds, man!"

"And I do not believe she is even done yet..."

How right Astral was:

"And I've got more news! Due to Train Connection's effect, when the equipped monster attacks another monster in Defense Mode, and the Attack Points are greater then your monster's Defense Points, the difference is dealt to you as damage!"

"Guh! So that'll mean 5000 points of damage heading my way if your attack connects!...Doesn't this count as overkill?"

"When you duel for and from the heart, nothing is over the top! Anyway, this duel's over and you're mine, sweetie!"

Athena cringes back from the nicknamed address, and seeing her expression, Anna inquires teasingly,

"Aw, come on, don't tell me you're gonna cry like that time before!"

"Huh? Time before?"

"Oh you remember: When I took your card and held it away from you up in that tree near the playground?...I was just playing around with ya, but then you started tearing up. Who knew you were that afraid of heights?"

An expression of realization started spreading onto Tiffany's face from the description of the event in question.

"Wait a minute..."

 _Could, she be talking about..._

Athena, meanwhile, tilted her head to the side in major befuddlement.

"What? But, I don't recall ever feeling anxious about high altitudes..."

"Well ya were back then!"

She stubbornly retorts back to Anna,

"No, pretty sure I wasn't! At best, I was a little scared of the dark, but that's it!"

"Guess I'll just have to jog your memory, by knocking some sense into you! You're going down!"

Astral remarks,

"That is not a good thing to hear...not while you have a mere 500 points of Life remaining."

Athena grumbles,

"I'm just going to ignore your negativity..."

"Then again, if you had the right face-down cards, that could be great news."

"...Okay, that there: That, is helpful."

Pointing a victorious digit forward, Anna proclaims with a smirk,

"This is it, Athena! You're all mine! Go, Superdreadnought: Attack Tem-Tempo!"

Tiffany exclaims,

"Ooooh, this is gonna be bad...!"

"Smash that little drummer boy!" Athena counters,

"The only smashing to be made is by Tem-Tempo and his awesome beat! I play the Trap, Gamushara! This card allows me to switch my monster from Defense to Offense!"

"Only 2200 Attack Points? Come on, you know that's not enough to beat Superdreadnought!"

The smirk on the girl with long, shaggy black hair tipped copper red does not waver.

"Teh, that's just part one, toots. My next play, is another Trap, Mirror Mail! Now my Jinn's Attack Points increase to the same total as your Rail Cannon's!"

At that, the drummer grows to become the same size as the colossal train, their Attack Points matching at 6000! Tiffany cheers,

"Alright, Addy!"

Both monster attacks collide, causing a mass explosion that takes both of them out, leaving their wielders to shield themselves from impact...Anna was shocked that her signature XYZ had been defeated:

"No way...!"

But that was the least of her problems, once she spots the Trap Card still face-up on Athena's field, said girl occupying a knowing sneer.

"And here's where part two of Gamushara activates: Because your monster went kaboom, you take damage equal to their Attack Points, so here's 6000 points of damage comin' your way!"

A copy of Superdreadnought's long-barreled cannon manifests on the surface of the trap card...

"Auh! Uh oh!"

"Fire away, Gamushara, and show Anna how it feels to be under the bullseye!"

(...Ka-POW)

"Aaaaaaaaah-aaah-aaaaaaaaaah!"

Anna is blasted backwards hard, all of her Life Points completely obliterated in one shot, thereby making Athena the winner of this Duel Monster match...Said girl with red irises bends forward with an expel of breath, muttering as the AR World faded away,

"Haaaauh, glad that's over..."

Tiffany also sighs with a relieved smile, while the redhead cringes as she rose to a sitting position and pulled off her duel gazer, upset that she wasn't able to get the win in more ways than one.

"No way...I lost...But hoooooooow?!"

"You wanna know how? I can sum it up easy for ya."

She looks up to see Athena stopping in front of her with a scolding frown, Tiffany and Astral joining either side.

"You became way too cocky of your cannon fire and lost sight of your strategy before it backfired on ya."

Anna growls in frustration, and the other girl added,

"In fact, it would've saved us both a headache if you just asked for a frank conversation instead of goin' about this crazy scheme."

All the redhead could do in response was wail over her failure, beating a fist on the ground in anger and sadness...

"Um, I realize this may not be the best time to pry..."

Anna darts her head up to glare her hawk-like irises at Tiffany, who flinches slightly before asking with an awkward smile,

"A-Anyway, wasn't the girl you had a big crush on named, Alana Farina, and not, Athena Fujina?"

...

...

...

A look of surprised realization spreads onto the redhead's face, and Athena folds her arms with an inquisitive frown while thinking aloud,

"Alana, Farina?...Oh, right, I remember her! She was that weepy girl who was practically afraid of her own shadow, let alone heights."

Within Anna's mind...she finally recalls her true crush's appearance from elementary school, they being a young lady with long slate brown hair and teary dark brown irises, who usually wore a light orange babydoll dress with matching Mary Jane shoes and white tights...

"Ah!...Huh?"

She then sees the other two girls looking at her weirdly, and she darts to her feet with a huff and slightly embarrassed blush.

"W-Well, it's your fault that your name had a similar ring! I hope you've learned your lesson..."

Hopping onto her weaponized hovercraft, Anna prepares to leave the area...but not before Athena inquires,

"Hey, before you go, question: Are you participating in the World Duel Carnival?"

"Huh? World Duel Carnival? (Shakes head) Not me."

With that, the girl with bird-of-prey yellow irises flies off, leaving the other with red irises to curse under her breath,

"Damn, what a bust. I was hoping to have gotten something out of that fiasco other than a migraine..."

Tiffany folds her hands behind her back with a smile:

"I had a feeling something was off...Not that this wasn't the first time a girl tried to requite their feelings for you. I mean, if we recall the Bianca B. Incident-"

Athena quickly slaps one of her palms over the other girl's mouth, a rare mortified expression forming on her face.

"Ah-dh-dh-dh! Don't...say it! I don't wanna remember that!"

Tiffany just lets out muffled giggle, while Astral comments to himself almost reluctantly,

"I suppose it is a, bit, of a shame to see Anna go...After all, those who duel for Love, duel with great passion."

...Speaking of, we quickly catch up with the redhead aboard her Hovercraft, as she mumbles Athena's full name to herself with a little smile...which would quickly be replaced with a frown of fruitless fury when her absentmindedness causes her to smack her forehead against the underside of a bridging highway.

"Gah!...Rrrrr, I blame you for that, Athena Fujina, and I will get my revenge!"


	30. Attack of the Dueling Produce?

"Go, Pepper Pounder!"

"Waaaaugh!"

"Carrot Crunch!"

"Gomph!"

"Extreme Eggplant!"

"Omp!"

"Cu-clubber!"

"Wa-oph!"

These strange attacker exclaims and recipient outcries were what rang through the heavier park complex of Heartland City like a trumpet horn during this new hour into the World Duel Carnival, which would eventually be investigated by the mayor's young agents, Nistro and Dextra, they finding the latest victimized duelist sprawled on the grass with...cucumbers stuffed in his mouth?

"Looks like somebody had a run-in with with a produce stand..."

The male with grizzly soot-red hair glances his purple irises up at his partner with a wry grin.

"Better call it in."

Nodding, the young woman with short black-blue hair contacts the official's office through her gazer.

"We found another down duelist. Send another unit here right away to help him out."

Looking back down at the barely-conscious boy, Nistro comments,

"Whoever did this is playin' by their own rules...Check this out."

He was pointing out the light red substance staining the bottom of the boy's t-shirt...Dextra kneels down to get a better sense of what the blot was, her finger catching a watery texture that wouldn't be characteristic to something such as...blood. Bringing the sample closer to her face and picking up a harmless scent, the young woman with milk chocolate irises tastes it.

"Ah, just as I thought."

Nistro eyes her in confusion and disgust, which would quickly switch an expression of complete befuddlement when she stands back up and states,

"That stain is tomato juice."

"Gauh?!"

Falling back on his behind, the male with purple irises springs back on his feet and asks the victim in disbelief,

"What kind of crazy duel was this, kid?!"

The nameless duelist could only moan incoherently with streams of embarrassed tears running from his eyes...

Meanwhile, at another end of the city, we find two familiar young girls leaving from a local food truck with something for each of them to eat at this later lunch hour.

"Thank you!" "Thanks, dude!"

"No probs; enjoy your curry buns, ladies!"

Tiffany blushes with a giggle at being called a lady, while Athena rolls her eyes with an amused smirk before taking a heart bite out of her meal.

 _Mmm, so good..._

"Sheesh, Addy, with the way you eat, I could almost mistake you for one of the guys."

Swallowing another large bite down, the girl with red irises smile-glares at the other as they settled onto a new leisure bench.

"Oh ha ha ha. Just count your blessings that unlike some guys, I remember to keep my mouth closed while chewing...Besides, with my body and all the battles I've been in so far, I gotta fuel up when I can or risk droppin' flat by sunset."

"Right, since you burn off more energy than the Bunsen Burners in the science lab at school."

"Heha, comin' from you, Tiff, I'll take that as a compliment...In fact..."

Reaching into her casual sky blue backpack bordered with brown leather sitting by her feet, Athena pulls out a small white cloth bundle.

"I'll even reward that 'clever' comparison by sharing my Grandpa's Mochi with ya."

"Heh, I know you're bein' a little sarcastic with the word Clever, but I'll accept your invite nonetheless. Your grandpa's mochi is the best!"

...But just before the girls could unwrap the rice treat from its cloth, a crow suddenly comes swooping down from a nearby tree and swipes up the bundle into its beak by the knot!

"Auh!" "Oi!"

They dart to their feet and make the motion to chase after the bird, but second-guess to such an idea when they see how far up and away the aviary creature was getting...

"Awww..."

"Damn it, and that was the last of the mochi in my pack too..."

"...That's a real shame there, girls."

Looking back down in front of them, Athena and Tiffany found themselves face-to-face with a new individual: A young man at least an inch or so taller than them and considerably wider in body type, tan skin highlighting some muscle in his large arms, rosy cheeks and prominent eyebrows that made his black-grey irises smaller than they really are, short black hair tied back in a small ponytail and tucked under a wicker sunhat, and wore a light blue short-sleeve shirt with a picture of tomatoes over a yellow/orange backdrop, a small white towel over his shoulders, blue jean shorts, and brown shoes. He was also carrying two big baskets of what looked to be fresh produce products over his back...

The stranger held out some of his rations to them with a friendly smile.

"Here, chow down on some cucumbers. They are de~licious!"

Looking to one another so blue met red, the girls shrug in a 'why not' manner before politely accepting the stranger's offer.

(Crunch, chew...)

"Oh wow, these are really packin' water...!"

"Yeah, really fresh!"

Beaming a smile, the girl with bobbed black hair turns to the male and asks curiously,

"Did you grow these and those other vegetables by your own hands?"

Blushing a bright red, the young man pivots to the side and exclaims in bashful pride,

"Yes, ma'am!"

Finishing off her edible gift, Athena rose back up from the bench with a satisfied expression.

"Aaah, that really hits the spot after a spicy curry bun. Thank you for sharing your bulking bundle, um...sorry, I didn't catch your name."

The bulky male introduces himself:

"Well, ma'am, I'm Tombo Tillbitty, and I love tomatoes, more than practic'lly anything. My dream is t' build a huge en'ertainment park dedicated to tomatoes right here in the big city!"

"Huh, seriously? A, tomato, amusement park?"

"Yes-siree, because tomatoes are the finest and funnest vegetables on this whole planet! I wanna win the Duel Carnival so I'll be set on the road t' fame and fortune and I can make Tomatotopia a reality!...Course, I'll need a greeter or two for the guests when they en'er the park, an', I thought..."

Tiffany tilts her head to the side in confusion while Athena opted for a delicately-raised eyebrow, before Tombo darts his head back up and finishes enthusiastically,

"That both of ya would be the absolutely perfect people for the job, ladies!"

"Hauh?!" "Wha-?!"

Now, for the girls, this was what their imaginations came up with in terms of being greeters to such a future theme park...

 _(Flash)_

 _Both are dressed in cutesy outfits of red strapless tops matching knee-length bubble skirts, also wearing little hats shaped like flattened tomatoes, and waved their hands in a jazzy fashion in front of a gateway._

 _"Welco~me,"_

 _"To Tomatotopia~!"_

 _(Flash)_

...As for the celestial being left as the outside-looking-in participant of the conversation, he tries to come up with his own interpretation of such an occupation, and his imagination created the following.

 _(Flash)_

 _The girls wearing a single costume depicting a stem-conjoined set of the misconceived fruit._

 _"Hi!"_

 _"Welcome to Tomatotopia!"_

 _(Flash)_

Shaking his head of the mental scene, Astral comments to himself,

"That does not sound like a very flattering image for either of them..."

Hearing his mutter, Athena pivots her head up at him with a raised brow, before shrugging the commentary off and focusing on saying to the other male,

"Aum, listen, Tombo, much as I appreciate the share of good food, I have to be blunt honest: Your dream sounds way too high in the fantasy realm to have potential to reality."

Tiffany winces the slightest from her friend's weak support towards the male's goals...

"I'm not necessarily discouraging you, but you're competing against a wide array of dreams in this tourney that are just as or more passionate than yours. (Small smirk) You sure you know what you're getting into?"

The bulking male's thick eyebrows knit together in annoyance from the girl's tone, but then breaks open a little grin.

"Keh, quite sure, little lady! I've already taken this big city by storm, and won whole crop of victories to help me reach my dream...And based on your lip, I'm thinkin' you wanna be my next opponent."

"Hell yeah! Let's get it on!"

Athena pulls out her ash black-washed red duel disk and matching gazer.

"Duel Disk: Go! Duel Gazer: Activate and take us on a ride out of reality!"

 **Augmented Reality Vision Link Established.**

"(Both Duelists) Let's do this!"

...Suddenly, Tombo pulls off those large cylinder baskets of produce and starts fixing on a lid with a small opening in the center on each of them.

"But before we start, I propose that we add on a special rule just for fun..."

His opponent felt a nerve twitch in her eyebrow from the wide grin on his face, as well as a nervous flip in her stomach thanks to her past experience with duels that had 'unique circumstances'.

"And, what does this special rule entail?"

 _Alright, easy now, Addy. He seems like an honest-enough guy and not the type to suggest something cutthroat..._

Thankfully, the universe would prove her intuition to be correct.

"The Basket Rule!"

Tombo tosses one of the baskets over to have it land smoothly near Athena's left side before explaining the handicap.

"Before you attack, you gotta pull a vegetable out of the basket and gobble it down!"

"Say what?!"

"And ya can't start your attack until it's all gobbled up."

Settling a couple feet away at his place opposite of his opponent, the farm-dressed male points ahead at the girl and taunts,

"You fired up for the challenge, little lady?!"

...Oddly enough, there wasn't any negative protest to the proposal from Athena's end. In fact, it little more than amused her to hear such a relatively harmless added rule, so much so that she'd burst into laughter and bent frontward while holding her stomach to help steady herself.

"Hahahahahahahaha, oh wow! I-In all my times of duelin', with people who add something or other to the conditions of the game...! Hehahaha, Tombo, you are quickly becoming my favourite, and we haven't even started yet!"

"Weeeell, this wasn't the reaction I expected!"

She stops guffawing immediately upon hearing the new voice cutting into the area, and darts her head up right to see Nistro standing atop a thick-diameter light post.

"I actually thought you'd try and squirm your way out, kid, but I can tell from that tone you've got some guts. The kind of duelist this Carnival needs."

"...Uh, thanks, and you are...?"

"I'm a member of the committee that approves all Duel Carnival regulations."

Nistro turns his purple irises to Tombo:

"This yokel's already caused all kinds of chaos with his special veggie rule, and that's okay by me."

"Hold on there, Nistro."

Heads turn to Athena's left vantage point, focusing on Dextra's more stern and serious form that stood atop the lamppost on the opposite end of the pathway.

"I have to approve too."

"Aw, loosen up, Dextra. Our farmer friend here just wants to make things interesting for his city slicker rivals."

Tombo felt a swell of joy at hearing the support from the male with spiky ash-red hair.

"I'm glad you understand."

Meanwhile, Athena found herself staring between the two late teens with a straight frown as her mind plays recall to the last time she saw them.

 _Nistro and Dextra, huh? So that's what their names are..._

 _I remember, they were standing with Mister Heartland atop that float, when he personally came to let me off from the trouble I caused with that buggy LitterBot._

 _They must be his right-hand man and woman..._

 _Hang on. If they're acting as the rule regulators for this tourney..._

"Hey, 'scuse me."

The committee pair glance over at the teenage girl with red irises as she asks them,

"If you two really are doin' the whole 'scope for violators' thing, think you could let me in on if you've seen a duelist runnin' around and dishing out, more pain than they should be with their monsters?"

"Huh?" "What?"

Nistro and Dextra form confused expressions, while Astral and and Tiffany glance over at their mutual friend with concern and wariness in their facial features, silently cluing into what the girl was discreetly inquiring about.

 _She's trying to track his movements._

"You didn't hear this from me, but, there might be a participant in the Carnival who plans on hazing a specific victim, and will not spare anyone who gets in his way. And if the duels don't cut it, he'll immediately switch to using his fists to make sure the objects blocking his path are taken out."

"Tuh, is that right? And what's the name of this supposed hazer?"

Clenching a fist hard, Athena answers Nistro with a slightly shaky and bitter breath,

"...Search up 'Janko', and you'll find him. That's all I'll say, and I'm guessin' from that question that neither of you have seen duelists with more injuries than they usually come out with after a duel?"

Dextra replies while eyeing the younger's body language with some suspicion,

"No, we haven't...but we'll keep a sharp eye out if it will put your worries at ease."

 _She's hiding a personal factor to her inquiry..._

"That's appreciated, miss...Anyway, getting back to (gestures to the produce basket) this, what's your say on Tombo's little add to the game? I honestly don't have any qualms about it, heh, even if it is a bit silly."

"Hm...I also approve the Basket Rule."

That surprised Athena a bit:

 _Huh, well how 'bout that. I figured with her serious air, she wouldn't give the green light..._

She watches as Dextra and Nistro then vanish from the area in a fashion that suggested holographic projection, adding to herself,

 _And as for their info...it sounds like Trilos hasn't made any moves that would get the danger siren to sing, not yet, that is...So for now, I...and more importantly, my friends in the Carnival, are safe._

The girl with long shaggy black hair tipped with copper red tips would snap back as soon as Tombo made the first call.

"Since I'm a visitor to these parts, why don'tcha allow me to go first. And now, I Draw! First up, I use the Field Spell, Tomato Paradise! This allows me to muster a Tomato Token whenever I summon a plant-type monster, and Tomato Paradise is beautiful to boot."

The environment that the duelists and witness were now standing in was certainly an interesting sight: It had the elements of a basic garden of green with an archway entrance and exit, along with a few waterways streaming on the left and right sides, but with the primary focus being on the red veggie-worthy fruit, sized in various large proportions all bigger than the average tomato and decorating the archways while other ginormous ones were planted in the plain, thick vines or floating in the atmosphere.

Athena was both slightly impressed and partially nerved by the spectacle.

"Uh, well, (gulp) it's certainly something alright..."

Her free hand reaches towards the arm holding her cards, and she starts to rake her nails against the part of her skin exposed from the ridge of her leather jacket sleeve, making her look down with a flinch.

"Gh!"

 _Oh crap, I'm already-_

"Next up, I summon Tomato Knight!"

The first monster to came rising onto the field of this battle was a Level Three with 1100 Attack Points, and held the appearance of a knight getting ready to joust atop a...tomato, slice as their steed...

"My Tomato Knight's a plant-type monster, so I can summon up a Tomato Token too!"

On that note, a little cherub tomato rose up to the field, Level One and with no Attack Points.  
Athena comments with a raised brow while fighting to stop this sudden involuntary scratching of her skin,

"Man, you really are a tomato fanatic, aren'tch ya? You should meet my friend Caden: He's got his own little obsession too."

Acting like he hadn't heard her, Tombo then exclaims while holding up another card,

"To add a little zing, I'm activating the Spell, Tomato-pault! Not only does it let me hurl a plant-type monster at ya for 400 points of damage, but it's mighty entertainin' too! You ready or not, 'cause here comes a Tomato Token!"

The little winged fruit sets themselves onto the catapult, and lets out a little warcry chirp as the weapon releases them for a straight shot in Athena's direction!

(...SPLAT)

Thanking herself for having fast reflexes, the girl quickly raises her free arm to use as a splatter shield, cringing from the red mess on her body as her Life Points decreased to 3600.

 _Ugh, food fights are just gross..._

"Hehahahah! You're gonna need a good scrub-down once this duel's done! Now then, you're up!"

Flapping her arm a little to shake off most of the mashed tomato before using that same appendage to try and wipe some of the goop on her right side, the girl glares blazing red irises at her opponent.

"That was a cheap shot, farm boy! And just for that, I'm gonna crush your tomatoes into salsa!"

Tiffany almost giggles from the comeback before cheering,

"Show him what you got, Addy!"

"Count on it, Tiff! I Draw! I summon Achacha Archer to the field!"

The archer with the fiery personality comes rushing up to stand with his first arrow at ready to fire.

"Whoever has the gall to strike me gets struck double, or in your case, will receive retaliation worth 500 points of direct damage since I successfully summoned Achacha to the field!"

At that, Athena's monster lets his flamed arrow fly, hitting Tombo square in his chest with a yelp as his Life Points are taken down to 3500. Astral comments,

"Perfect. Now you should attack a monster. Target his Tomato Knight."

"Just what I was thinking!...Oh, hold on..."

The girl glances sideways towards the basket her opponent left for her.

"Nearly forgot that Basket Rule: I gotta pull out a veggie and eat it before I can even think about calling an attack."

Tombo calls to her with a mix of enthusiasm and impatience,

"So do it, Athena!"

"I am, I am!"

Sucking in a deep breath, the teen girl kneels down by the basket and reaches her free hand inside the opening to randomly pick out a vegetable.

"Hmm, let's see...Auhm, let's go with, this one!"

She yanks her hand back out...and found herself holding,

"Huh?! What the-Since when are Eggplants red?!"

Holding back a snicker at his opponent's exclaim of surprise, the bulked male explains.

"It's a hybrid I created mixin' an Eggplant with a Tomato. It's tasty to a T! I call it, an Eggmato."

...Athena was nowhere feeling as amused as Tombo was, finding herself staring at the strange vegetable-fruit hybrid with, a nervous expression?

 _Damn...I can't, not without risking, that._

She gingerly places the 'Eggmato' on the ground before reluctantly calling out,

"I place one card face-down and end my turn."

Tiffany rose a brow at her friend's unwillingness to follow the Basket Rule.

"Huh? Addy, what's wrong?" Astral was also confused:

"It makes no sense to avoid attacking..."

Tombo teases,

"Ya should've struck while you had the chance~...You'll regret not eating your vegetables, my fussy little friend!"

Athena's POV

I flinch back a little at Tombo's scolding, turning my eyes to the ground with a frown of self-disappointment.

 _He's right. If Gramps were here right now, I wouldn't hear the end of the 'Picky Eater' lecture._

 _But unfortunately, I've got no choice but to reject that mutant creation, otherwise..._

My nails lightly scrape vigorously up and down against my skin again.

 _This scratching will become somethin' worse to deal with..._

"My turn to, Draw!"

I snap out of my brewing caution as Tombo starts his next turn:

"Feast your eyes on Tomato in Tomato!"

The monster that sprang to the field on his side reminded me of a crossover between an ice cream cone and one of those Russian Nesting Dolls, Level Three with 1000 Attack Points.

"This monster's doubly-dangerous, 'cause it's ability, lets me summon another one straight to the field!"

The smaller monster jumps out of the bigger one, acting as the second...

"And when you factor in the effect of Tomato Paradise, I can add to my ulim-ato team by summonin' up two Tomato Tokens!"

Which meant two more of those annoying cherub fruits could pop up onto the field...I had to ask at that point,

"Okay, be honest with me: Just how many Tomato-themed cards do ya got?"

"Hehaoh, I got bushels full of 'em!"

 _Greeeaaaat..._

"And here's one of my faves, the Tough Tomato Spell Card! Now my plant-type monsters get 500 Attack Points until the end of the turn, and that gives 'em plenty more juice! We're turnin' these cute little critters into the ultimate power plants!"

With his monsters more jacked up, all he had to do was comply with his house rule.

"Now before I attack, I gotta eat a veggie. Which one will it be?"

And the lucky bastard pulled out,

"A zesty pepper! (Crunch, chew) I'm all pepped up!"

Astral warns me to brace myself, for he too knew I was about to get hit hard...

"Tomato Knight, go after Achacha Archer with Bullseye Blast!"

A dart board appears on my archer's chest, before the dang knight slings his lance straight ahead to spear my poor monster, costing me 400 Life Points thanks to their 1600 over my Archer's 1200...Tombo wasn't done yet, of course:

"And now Tomato in Tomato's takin' direct aim at you, so better brace yourself! Go, Tomato Torrent!"

Next came the overwhelming wave of those dolly-like creatures tryin' to tackle me to the ground, and I fought to push them back as my Life Points fell further to 1700.

"Hoo-ee! I can keep peltin' you with tomato monsters 'til you're knocked out!"

Tiffany calls out to me,

"Come on, pull yourself together, Addy!"

I nod in response while choking down an annoyed growl for allowing myself to get shoved around by food of all things, and straighten back up as Astral tells me,

"Now, use a Trap Card!"

 _Trap...Right!_

Holding out my hand, I make the command:

"I activate, Heartfelt Appeal!"

Tombo's expression shifts to an agitated wary, telling me he knows the effects of my card, and giving me a bit more confidence in my skills.

"(Smirk) Heh, with this card, when you attack me directly, I then get control over the monster on your side with the most Defense Points. Now your Tomato in Tomato's playing for my team!"

The little nesting doll plant monster pops over to my end, and I add to myself more neutrally,

 _Still, just 'cause I've got my opponent's monster doesn't mean they're always on my side._

 _I'll have to watch it and make sure there's no tricks to be had..._

Tombo seemed slightly impressed by my slick counter:

"Nice. It's been quite a while since I saw the ole tomato shield ploy, but I got some tomato tricks of my own. Don't forget that my Tomato-pault is still in effect, and that monster ya took won' save ya."

 _Damn, he's right. Which means I better get my arm ready..._

"Go get 'er, guys!"

This time, I'd get splattered by two Tomato Tokens, coating me in more puree fruit and taking a bite of my Life Points worth 800, pinning my total at 900.

"That's what I call tomato teamwork! You're up, Athena!"

I curse to myself in frustration while wiping off the thankfully not completely real tomato debris off my person.

"Shit, this is worse than the time Jamal screwed up our chem lab assignment and caused our foam project to explode..."

 _Now that made a real mess._

Astral chides in a near-exasperated manner,

"Please try to remain focused..."

Ignoring his tone, I grab hold of my next card:

"I Draw! Hm...okay, I tribute Tomato in Tomato, and summon Chachaka Archer!"

This guy is someone I haven't used in a while, a Level Six with 1200 Attack Points and elements similar to Achacha, but had more of an ancient ninja look while wielding twin crossbows that if I remember right was the Chu State design.

"Quite a wise choice. No doubt you chose it because it can destroy a Spell or Trap Card once per turn."

"Right as rain, Astral. Chachaka Archer, take down that Tomato-pault!"

He does as I ask, and shoots down that stupid giant slingshot...  
With that out of the way, this was the moment to jack up my power.

"Now I activate the Spell, Blustering Winds, and give Chachaka another 1000 Attack Points, raising them to 2200!"

"Very good, and now you can attack."

...Right again though my floating friend was, that's when I recall that increasingly-terrible Basket Rule.  
Just glancing at the wickerwork was enough to get that...scratching going again.

 _Gh! Come on, snap out of it, girl! It's not a contact thing!_

Swallowing thickly, I suck it up and stick my hand into the basket like I was fishing out a rattlesnake.

"Hoh-kay, round two...Hm, that one definitely feels familiar, liiiike, a cucumber!"

...

But let's all take a guess at what I pulled out instead, shall we?

...

...

Give up? Well, Astral's guess was definitely in the right realm.

"Look at that. I see that it is the same colour as a tomato."

 _Oh no, not another tomato-veggie hybrid!_

Tombo guffaws at my expression and exclaims with pride,

"That there's the tastiest tomato creation I ever grew! Have a bite and I guarantee you'll agree, Athena!"

Now, I'll admit it: A very, very tiny part of me was curious to what these crazy vegetable-fruits actually tasted like...But I'm gonna let you in on something I haven't told anyone for a long while.

...

...

I, Athena Fujina, am allergic to Tomatoes!

How did I find out? Little incident back at my bestie's fourth birthday party involving salsa. Long story short, it wasn't pretty and left some laughing...

My reaction itself isn't anything deadly, thank god, as long as I don't like, eat a whole bunch mindlessly...but it does boast itself to be really noticeable in ways that screams 'Keep this such and such away from me'. That's why I have to carry allergy pills with me at all times, a habit I still have trouble remembering.

 _That reminds me...do I have them in my pack today?_

"Athena?...Is something wrong?"

Ignoring Astral for a moment, I shift my cards into the one with the um, 'Cumato' to quickly do a grope-check that a certain little container was in my backpack's front pocket...My worst fears were confirmed when I felt nothing.

"Damn, damn, damn...!"

 _Oooooh this isn't good! And if Tombo stuffed a bunch of these weird creations into my basket..._

 _Oh this is all kinds of bad for me!_

"Addy, what's the matter? You look like you're about to have a panic attack!"

 _Oh come on, Tiff, how can you of all people not remember my problem?!_

Clenching my fist, I look up ahead at my opponent with an apologetic look, which got him looking at me in confusion.

"Huh? What's with the long face, little lady?"

"...I'm sorry, Tombo, but, I can't."

I slowly place the hybrid food on the ground after putting my cards back into my holding hand, and say in a low voice,

"I can't eat this creation of yours." Astral asks me,

"You can't? Whatever do you mean, Athena?"

Tombo's eyes narrow at me as he wonders suspiciously,

"Wait a minute...you don't like tomatoes, do you?"

Emitting a humourless laugh, I smile weakly and reply,

"I wish it was that simple...but my issues are a bit more complicated than that."

"Huh?"

"It's not that I think they taste bad or anything...but my body, rejects them. I'm allergic to tomatoes."

"Whaaaah?!"

My opponent's mood does a one-eighty flip to disbelief, while Tiffany feels her recall ability finally kick back into gear.

"Ooooh, that's right! I completely forgot that you're allergic to tomatoes, Addy!"

Smirk-glaring at my friend lightly, I call back,

"And I find it surprising that you don't remember until now, since it was during your fourth birthday party that we discovered my allergy."

"Right right, with the salsa..."

"Mhm..."

With most of the shock cleared out of his system, Tombo coughs a bit awkwardly and suddenly asks in a more sympathetic tone,

"So...how bad is this allergy of yours?"

"Well, as long as I don't eat tomatoes like a starving maniac, I won't die or anything...But eating even one will get a rash going around my chest and neck, I start wheezin' and coughin', and unless I take my allergy pill in the nick of time...well...god, this is embarrassing, but...my voice changes to the point when I sound like a raspy old man."

Eyes were staring at me with awe at my little confession, but I could detect a bit of that old mirth in Tiffany's blue eyes telling me she remembers the last time my allergy got me...

"Well, I must say, I do appreciate your honesty, little lady."

It was my turn to look at Tombo with that expression of awe, surprised that he seemed to be taking my words in with a calm air.

"You do?"

"Yeah. Much as I do love tomatoes with all my heart and wanna make my Tomatotopia a reality, (sheepish smile) I always seem to forget that there are people out there who can't share in that joy because their body can't handle it...But, why didn't ya say something before we started our little match?"

"(Shrug) Didn't feel like I needed to say anything. I wasn't expecting to be that heavily bombarded with all this tomato mumbo-jumbo..."

"Heh, righ'...Well, now that we all know your unfortunate handicap...do you, still wanna continue our duel?"

The area falls silent for a short moment as I contemplated my options...and the answer came pretty quick.

"Teh, or surrender my Heart Piece? I don't think so."

"What?"

Smirking a little, I lightly argue,

"I'm already too far into this duel to back down, and I'm not someone who likes to abandon more than halfway. So what if I technically can't eat tomatoes? I'll find some way to make my comeback against your Basket Rule, Tombo."

I finalize my decision by ending my turn with a face-down, and gesture a 'go on' wave with my free hand.

"Let's keep 'er goin', man, 'til the end."

I hear my two friends with me mutter my name in surprise at my willingness to continue, while Tombo gapes at me for three seconds, before letting out a hearty laugh.

"You've got guts, my poor, allergic friend, I'll give you that! But you might regret continuing when I'm done. Alright, here it comes; my Draw! First, I summon Tomato in Tomato...and a Tomato Token too!"

 _Hmm, now what could he be planning next? Oh wait, I already know: A bigger, badder tomato!_

"I overlayin' both my Tomato in Tomatoes and my Tomato Knight! Then I'm usin' them to build the Overlay Network so that I can XYZ Summon!"

There's a huge flurry of a whirlwind chock-full of the fruit that manifests in front of Tombo as he announces,

"Make way for the King of the Crop, the toughest tomato of them all! All hail the mighty Tomato King!"

There's a flash of light, before I wind up staring at this huge sideways tomato with orange foliage and dotting yellow eyes, their limbs made from vines with smaller red fruits making the hands and feet, and a fifth appendage sprouting from the top!

 _O-kaaaay, this is a new one at me..._

I fought the urge to gape at this Rank Three monster with 1600 Attack Points, while by BFF commented in delight,

"Awe, cute and delicious!" My opponent carries on:

"Then I'll take advantage of Tomato Paradise and summon another Tomato Token! And once more, I'll activate Tomato King's special ability. By using an Overlay Unit, this monster's Attack Points double until the end of my next turn! Nothin' can stop this tomato now!"

Next thing I knew, that harmless-looking fruit creature grew into a massive mutant that I couldn't begin to describe, with 3200 Attack Points to boot.

"Yipes. Looks like somethin' out of Terry's classically-cheap horror flick collection..."

"Okay, King, get ready! Fix your aim on Chachaka Archer! Pour on the heat with Tomato Terror!"

That mutant mess burns my poor archer alive with fiery breath, and I got thrown back by the after impact...

"That's the way! Ya finished Athena off!...Huh?!"

Contrary to what ole Tombo was thinking, I wasn't down and out yet, grinning as my Life Points only fell to 400.

 _Heheheheh, thank yooooou, face-down!_

"How come you still have Life Points left?!" I cheekily explain while pointing to my Trap,

"It's all thanks to my Transaction Summon Trap Card, you see. This card allows me to lower the damage I took from your attack by 500, then summon a monster with 1000 or fewer Attack Points."

He just grinds his teeth a little at my stubbornness, while I ready my next card.

"The monster I'm choosing from my hand, is Gagaga Girl!"

My Level Three magician apprentice with 1000 Attack Points comes springing up onto the field in front of me...

"The drawback is that I can't destroy your monster for some of your turns. A small price to pay for avoiding defeat."

Tombo chuckles a little and jeers,

"Alrighty! Since you only got 400 Life Points left, I can afford to wait another turn before my tomatoes take you down. Go for it!"

"You want it, you got it! I Draw! I summon Gagaga Magician!"

My Level Four magician with 1500 Attack Points comes to the field through a strong tornado...

"I would suggest changing that card's level, Athena." I nod at Astral and reply,

"Hm, good idea. I switch Gagaga Magician to Level Three!"

"...This next step holds the key to your victory."

Now I had to look eye-to-eye with my friend from beyond, as he elaborates his words.

"If you choose to XYZ Summon now, you will have a fighting chance to win this duel...but first, you will have to reach into that basket and eat what you pull out."

I suck in some air through my teeth and knit my eyebrows together with a nervous smile.

"Yeah, I know...but it could end up spelling bad news for me if I pull out something tomato-based again..."

Pivoting my body to stare at the wicker basket for a moment...I then let out a groan and exclaim,

"Ya know what, screw it; I'm goin' in!"

With that, I jab my free hand into the opening for that third and hopefully last time.

 _Hm, hm...Okay, this time, I'm sure this one's gotta be a regular vegetable. More specifically..._

"(Yank) A carrot!"

...Bu~t Lady Luck was of course, by no surprise to me, against me at this hour, and I wound up pulling out,

"Auh, you gotta be kidding! Another freakin' hybrid?!"

Tombo laughs a little and says a touch sympathetically,

"Oh boy, I almost feel a bit sorry for ya, little lady! That's a carrot-like tomato I dreamt up and named a Tamarrot!"

 _Curse it all, why me?!_

 _...Now what am I gonna do? Without my pills, if I eat this, my allergy's gonna screw me over._

"Addy?"

I sideglance helplessly at Tiffany who looks at me with a concerned smile, before I turn back to Astral as he reasons with a reluctant sigh,

"I am afraid that you have no choice but to risk a probable reaction...unless, you wish to lose?"

 _Hm...well I do have one Heart Piece that isn't working for me...but I don't wanna risk the time crunch._

 _...But, then my allergy...Geez, what a dilemma._

"Addy!"

I jump out of my thoughts to Tiffany's call, and turn to look towards her as she says to me,

"I just remembered there's a walk-in clinic not too far from here! I normally don't like encouraging doing something dangerous or stupid, but...if you choose to do what I think you might do...I'll get you the help you need as fast as I can. Plus, if I remember right, your allergy's a bit slow-acting."

 _Ah! That's right: Last time I accidentally ate something with a heavy amount of tomato, it still took about ten minutes before something happened._

 _...Hm...Okay, this 'Tamarrot' isn't very large...I might be able to pull this next swing off if I'm fast._

Feeling a bit more sure of myself, I nod firmly before shouting aloud,

"Okay, all: Prepare to witness the quickest turnaround this side of Heartland! And body...please forgive me for what I'm about to do next!"

With that, I widen my jaw, and chomp down hard on the hybrid veggie-fruit.

No POV

Three sets of a gasp ran through the air as Athena gobbled down the 'Tamarrot', followed by a three second pause...before she hms and comments,

"Not a bad combo. Real shame that I'm not suppose to eat it, 'cause it tastes delish...Mmh!?"

The girl then felt a tightness in her throat, and gingerly touched her fingertips to the surface of her skin.

 _Uh oh...I think my allergy's kickin' in faster than usual._

"You okay, little lady?"

Expelling a small dry cough, Athena calls back with a partially-reassuring smile,

"Y-Yeah yeah, I'm alright, just dandy, heh-heh, heh...!"

Neither Tiffany nor Astral bought the panicked assurance in their mutual friend's tone.

"Addy..."

"Athena...XYZ Summon now while you can."

Nodding, the girl with red irises moves to finish this duel off as fast as she could.

"I Overlay Level Three Gagaga Magician and Gagaga Girl, to build the Overlay Network and XYZ Summon, Melomelody, the Brass Jinn!"

The Rank Three monster that came to Athena's side of the field next held 1400 Attack Points, and had the appearance of a chibi girl sitting atop an enormous brass instrument of various origins, with little imp horns at the top of her short green hair, amber-brown eyes, and wore a white shirt under a pink vest and matching skirt, along with tiny white boots.

"I activate Gagaga Girl's special ability, Cellphone Subtraction! When she and another Gagaga monster are used to XYZ Summon, your monster's Attack Points are reduced to zero!"

In which case, Tomato King is hit with a boxy energy wave that causes it to shrink back to their original form as their strength is completely drained. Tombo cries in despair,

"It's not the top tomato anymore!"

"Now it's Melomelody's turn to belt out a big note that'll blow you away! Go, Melody Wave!"

A sound wave with many colourful notes goes blasting out from the brass instrument and against Tomato King...

"It's true that Tomato King won't be destroyed right now thanks to Transaction Summon, but you're still gonna feel the heat of the beat!"

Tombo grits his teeth, before crying out as he's hit by the song's power and his Life Points reduce to 2100. Astral then says to Athena,

"And now you can activate Melomelody's special ability!...Hm? Uh!"

Not hearing a response, he turns to look down at the girl, only to recoil a bit in surprise when he sees a blotching redness forming on the skin of her neck and upper chest!

"Athena! Your...Your reaction...!"

"I, (cough) know! It's comin' on faster than usual...I gotta wrap this up quick while I can still talk."

Wheezing the slightest bit, Athena calls out as loud as she could,

"I activate Melomelody's special ability! Because you have an XYZ monster, my jinn can use one Overlay Unit to attack again!"

At the same time her monster sucks back an orb of light into their tuba-based instrument, the girl reaches into the basket beside her to pull out another vegetable...

"Oh thank god, something normal! A pepper! (Crunch, munch) Mm, crisp and fresh, just like your tomatoes! Let this next song go out to your farming skills, Tombo!"

Melomelody releases her next note-filled blast, and Tombo's hit for more damage that took his Life Points down to 700...

"Encore, encore! Let's hear the encore!"

Athena pulls out another piece of produce, this one being a regular carrot this time, and chews it down while calling out in an increasingly hoarse voice,

"Max-(cough) volume, Melomelody! Go, Melody, (cough, wheeze) Wave!"

The jinn does as commanded, and Tombo watches helplessly as the attack came on a straight course for he and his Tomato King.

"Now I know how it feels to be a tomato when it's just been canned!...Gaaaaaaaauh!"

He falls back as the energy wave connects with his body, and the last of his Life Points vanish, declaring Athena the winner of this duel. She grins a little as the AR World fades away, but then grimaces as she feels her throat tightening again.

 _God, damn, the things I risk for a victory..._

"Addy!"

She looks up weakly to see Tiffany rushing towards her with an anxious expression.

"Are you okay?!"

"Ah-yeah, never been better...What? Why are you staring at me like-...Oh, crap."

"Uh-Uhm, yeah, your voice is..."

...Sighing in a now deepened, raspy masculine tone, Athena looks ahead over where her defeated opponent was laying sprawled on the ground before stating,

"Well, much as we should motor over to that clinic...we better check up on Tombo too."

Small Time Skip

"Hehahahaha, oh my, you weren't kidding about that voice change! You almost sounded like my own dad a little while ago!"

"Yeah yeah yeah, it was hilarious, now can we please get out of here?"

(Ka-chank)

About more than half an hour after leaving the area in the park to an upper street where Tiffany said that small walk-in clinic was, we find her, Athena and Tombo exiting through the place's double doors after picking up an antihistamine for the girl with the food allergy as well as some rash cream, along with a cool compress for the duelist who lost...

"So how long did the doctor say until your reaction fully wears off?"

Athena, her skin rash reduced slightly to only accumulate around the neck and her voice back to normal if with some rasp lingering, replies to Tiffany,

"I think she said about an hour or two, three tops before my rash fully clears as long as I drink plenty of fluids. She said I was lucky to come in just as my allergy kicked in or it would've been longer..."

Throughout their talking, Astral had not taken his eyes off of the girl with red irises once out of his own concern.

 _Thank goodness she is alright...but now I know something else about her health I'll have to keep an eye out for._

 _Oh Athena, must you continue to find ways to scare me?_

 _Whatever keeps you on your toes._

"Mh!"

He jumps a little and looks down to see said girl looking up at him with a cheeky smile and silent giggle, causing him to scowl halfheartedly at her in return...A few minutes pass before Athena would pause her steps down the street, just a foot away from a big staircase that led down to the large park complex again, and she glances back and forth between her best friend and new friend while quirking,

"...By the way, nobody's gonna mention this incident to my bros or grandpa, right?"

Tombo and Tiffany smile awkwardly and reply in unison,

"Riiiiiight..."

The teens let out matching deep breaths, before the bulking male turns to hand something to his latest dueling opponent.

"Here's your Heart Piece, Athena."

"Uh?"

"You earned it, by not only beating me in our little match, but by having so much respect to my passion that you'd risk agitating your food allergy. I don't think even I'd be willing to go all the way like you did."

Athena rubs the back of her head with a modest expression.

"Aeh, I wouldn't read too much into it. It's just a common quirk of mine to take risks; I'm reckless like that. I've been trying to curb it, but...I don't think I ever will. It's, just who I am. I'm glad that you're taking the loss with a smile, though."

"Well, we gotta learn from everything we do, right?"

"Right."

Holding out a free hand each, the two duelists shake hands...

"Take it easy, Athena."

"You too, Tombo, and keep trying to hit for your dream."

"I will."

With that, the farmer's son turns and starts heading out on his own, leaving the girls to watch him go with small smiles on their faces, while Astral thinks to himself with a more neutral expression,

 _Observation Number 16: The Human Body is more complex than first initially believed...and so far, Athena's has proven time and time again, to be the most baffling functioning body._


	31. Luck of the Draw, Luck of Life, Part One

Hours more pass through this, the first day of the World Duel Carnival Preliminaries, and evening would soon cast its first shadows of darkness over Heartland City, forcing automatic streetlights to blink to life...

But our attention moves away from the excitement of this grand-scale Duel Monsters tournament towards a more serious manner taking place at a very familiar location: The Heartland City Museum. Apparently, it was once again experiencing a robbery of one of its valued treasures...but unlike the failed attempt by Scorch and Chills, it seems this new character is close to success, if not without a few hitches along the way.

Currently, the figure was atop the roof of the large building, a spotlight shining over their body courtesy of the police who had a team set up down below, one of the co-leaders of this operation being Detective Arata Quen, Tiffany's father. After receiving the go-ahead nod from his sergeant, he communicates with the mystery thief trapped atop the museum via megaphone.

"This is the HCPD! We have you completely surrounded with no openings for escape! Surrender now, put your hands on the back of your head and get down on the ground, slowly!"

Zooming upward, we get a better gander at whom Arata was barking orders to. They were a male in their mid to late twenties, tall and with a pale complexion, black hair that carried a dark blue sheen in a mod-like cut that ran to his shoulders, fringes cut long to frame his face, covered by a black-grey fedora with a mahogany strip running around the base, teal green eyes that sparked of mischief and adventure, and wore an outfit conspired of a white suit jacket with matching pants over a collared magenta-red shirt, a black vest, a thick-woven sarape of light orange with a dirt brown diamond pattern and yellow tassels worn over the shoulders reaching to mid-back, black belt, and brown shoes.

"Not even gonna say please? Now that isn't very polite of you, is it? Nh!"

He shuts his eyes to block the blinding light coming from another spotlight above him, as a few police helicopters come flying over the rooftop.

"And would ya lookit that? You called in the birdies!...I had no idea you clowns would make such a fuss over a simple card..."

Fwipping his left hand, we see a Duel Monster card appear between his fingers, reflecting the features of a Number! Several special ops come sliding down some ropes to surround the male, clicking their electrical batons to life. But even with the appending danger he was putting himself in, the stranger remained unafraid, even a little cocky.

"Whoa-hoh, how's it goin', fellas? Nice touch with the glowy sticks, but I'm pretty sure I got you beat!"

He hoists the arm holding the probable Number into the air...and the card releases a torrent of light brighter than the spotlights to go sparking over the area!

Below on ground level, Arata shields his own dark blue irises from the blast of energy alongside a few of his fellow officers for a short amount of time before it dies down...

"Detective, look!"

He follows the directional point of one of the newer rookies, and gasps when he sees,

"The thief...they're gone!"

Fujina Residence, Adam's POV

 _Ugh, I'm definitely sensing a long night ahead. I get that Professor Marshall has alot on his plate this semester, but why does he always end up roping me in for these tedious paper grading sessions?_

It's getting close to dinner time, and since around past lunch, I've been stuck sitting at my bedroom desk undertaking the task of grading several dozen term papers sent by students in the Duel Monster History Class up at the university I assist in. This isn't so much a hard job, but it can get rather annoying and tiresome after a while, especially when some of these people show obvious signs of not paying attention to the finer details.

"What? No, the game wasn't founded on a whim out of boredom. It was inspired from a section of ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphs depicting what is known nowadays thanks to various historians and anthropologists as 'The Shadow Games'."

* * *

Note: Another allusion to the original series; your welcome, my fellow fans :)

* * *

I mark and critique that mistake while letting out a sigh:

"At least they got the name of the original creator correct...but I swear, each new wave of incoming students is producing more ignorant minds."

Despite my gentle rise of irritation, I found myself smiling a little and almost laughing.

"Oh wow, listen to me, getting riled up...Yet I can easily name three people who would be having a bigger conniption fit than me over something like this. Dad...and two old college buddies of mine."

 _Speaking of...I wonder what that crazy thrill-seeker's up to these days?_

(Briiing, briiing)

"Hm?"

Suddenly, my duel gazer starts ringing, and when I pick it up to check the caller ID, I would become near-dumbstruck by who's name was listed.

 _No, way...!_

(Ping)

 _"He~y, Adam, how's it goin', buddy? Gosh, been a while since we last spoke, hasn't it?"_

 _...Charlie..._

"Charlie McCay?!...Aeh-yes, it's certainly been quite a while since we last chatted. (Knowing smile) But something's telling me that this isn't a courtesy call to an old friend."

 _"Heh, yeah, wouldn't that be nice?...Listen, I could use a hand out of a little fix."_

Leaning back from by desk slightly and bending my chair a bit in the relaxed recline, I ask,

"Alright, spill: What'd you do now?"

 _"Just took something I needed...from the city museum."_

"And by took, you mean you stole."

 _"I prefer the term 'borrowed without asking', but that's not why I called. See, I gotta deliver this item today, but I'm kind-of pinned down. Feel like lendin' a hand to your old study buddy?"_

 _Oh good grief, his habits haven't settled much, have they?...You'd think that his common sense would've gotten an upgrade during his college years..._

Forming a frown with a sigh, I chide in a half-stern manner,

"Charlie, you know how I feel about bending the Law. Those crazy frat parties that were held on unauthorized grounds, sneaking into the museums after dark?...Those may have been memorable, but it was also dangerous, and what you're doing now is skyrocketing to the top of that list. It'd be in your best interest to turn yourself over to the cops before things get too out of control."

On some levels, it looked like he was listening to me, but that calm, casual smirk on his face spoke different volumes.

 _"Oh come on, it's not as bad as you think, and FYI, those crazy parties and other little adventures I took you on were what helped get you out of your turtle shell. Don't forget that...But we can talk about the old days some more, when you zip down in your old man's truck."_

"Uh...!"

 _"Just rev it up and come meet me. I'll shoot you my location."_

Forming a challenging smile, I retort back,

"Oh will you now? And give me one good reason why I should meet with you."

"Uh, because we're best friends?"

...I had to really fight the urge to throw my gazer against my mattress when he pulled out the friend card.

 _"Oh, and I'm kind-a hungry too, so, if you could swing by a drive thru-"_

Groaning, I then form an irritated upturn of lip before exclaiming,

"Damn it, Charlie, you're still as insufferable as ever!"

 _"And you're still as uptight as ever, kid...Still, I recall us parting on friendly terms during our last meet. Anyway, I'll meet ya in thirty; don't keep me waiting."_

With that, he hangs up...Letting out my second groan of the evening, I rise from my desk chair to walk over and flop my back onto my bed to cool my frustrations.

"That, _idiot_...Hmph."

Turning so I was laying on my side, I look across from my vantage towards the wall that held my bookcase, fixating my green-flaked grey irises on a framed photograph holding my old, annoying friend and me during his graduation day. A small, sad and nostalgic smile forms as I quietly muse,

"Heh...our last meet, eh?"

 _(Flash)_

 _To put a long story short, despite my outstanding academic achievements in high-school which led to me graduating a year early, I was in no way prepared for what the life of college and university would offer. Unlike my younger brother, I wasn't as confident with my abilities in keeping a conversation with someone, and was one of those awkward wallflowers._

 _...That is, until I met him during my second semester of my first year. We were in the same history class, and didn't speak much until we were paired by our professor for a research project. It was throughout the assignment that we got to one another, and after seeing what I had sheltered myself into, Charlie became determined to bring out my inner public speaker._

 _I resisted for a little while, but after a few forced outings, I slowly began to build back my confidence with meeting and befriending new people again. In turn, I gave Charlie's study habits some desperate tweaking before he teetered to the failing grades, and showed him that even the most boring drones can have something to offer a fresh mind. Through each cram session, each party, several dozen coffee clatches...he became the best friend I wish I had since childhood...Well, him and another male who I became close with, but that's another story._

 _Anyway, that's why come that summer after my third and his final year...I was sad to hear of Charlie's plans to get an early start his world travels._

 _"Are you sure you wanna jump headfirst into this so soon? This'll be only your second major trip out of the country since that semester abroad we took a year ago."_

 _"I'm definitely sure. You know me by now, Adam: I don't like standin' still for too long...but hey."_

 _I remember the way that sunset highlighted the brotherly look in his smile._

 _"We'll keep in touch, promise...and it's not like you need me as your shadow anymore."_

 _"Huh?"_

 _"You're gonna be fine. I see a great man shining in you, Adam...Just remember: when those windbag professors start getting to ya, just head back to that woodwork hobby you're good at until they shut up."_

 _Laughing was the only way to stop myself from tearing up, knowing it would be a long time before I'd hear advice like that from that guy's mouth..._

 _"See ya around, kid!"_

 _(Flash)_

...Letting out a gentler breath, I rise up from my bed to walk back to my desk, and gather up those term papers to put away.

"I can finish marking these tomorrow...Haaah, the things that friend of mine gets me into."

 _Just remember my policy, Charlie: if you get caught, I don't get arrested with ya._

Athena's POV

 _Five duels, four Heart Pieces, three of which fit together while one's an oddball out...  
_

 _Sounds like a good first day to me._

 _And best of all, I've managed to steer clear of that vengeful punk...for now._

"Looks like your allergy's finally flared down, Addy."

I blink in a slight jolt out of my thoughts to the sound of Tiffany's voice breaking the period of quiet between us that's lasted for the past fifteen minutes, taken from the last few hours since we parted ways with Tombo. Pivoting my head to her, I reply with a slight smile,

"Yeah, I definitely don't feel the heat of my rash anymore, and my voice has finally lost that rasp. But as the doc said, no more tomatoes for me today...Heh, that duel with Tombo was somethin' else."

"Certainly one of the more unforgettable...Do you think you might someone else to duel before the day ends?"

Shrugging, I face the front of us again as we, and Astral, continue our way down this one street in the downtown area.

"Can't say for sure, but you never know. If this is where my progress will pause, I'm not complaining."

"Just remember to not get too relaxed, Athena."

Glancing over to my right, my friend from another world goes on in saying,

"Those who remain in the Carnival do so because they are skilled."

 _Hm. Somehow, I just knew he'd say something like that..._

"All the more reason for me to enjoy my little victories while I can, 'cause it only gets tougher the higher you climb."

(Briiing, briiing)

"Hm?"

Suddenly, I hear my gazer's caller ringtone go off, so I stop with the other two to answer it.

(Ping)

"Oh, hey Adam. 'Sup?"

 _"Hey, sis...Are you, not heavily invested in the Carnival right now, and near the main Monorail station?"_

"Uh, not overly, (glances up) and yes. Why?"

 _"Good. Listen, I could really use a hand. There's an old college buddy of mine I'm suppose to be meeting with in the next bit. Here's his pic."_

An image is sent to me, and I found myself staring at a man who looked a few years older than Adam.

 _Huh...Weird, I feel like I've seen him before..._

 _"He should be near the courtyard. I would really appreciate it if you can find him, and keep him rooted for a while."_

"Um, alright, but how come you can't meet with him now, and who is he exactly? I feel like I should, but don't know 'im."

The picture of the guy is blocked by Adam's face again as he replies with a small smile,

 _"Heh, I'm not surprised. You might have only seen him come and go during our study partner sessions back in the day. His name's Charlie, and, he's one of my best friends, even when he gets himself into trouble once in a while...As for your first question, I'm kind-a busy doin' some last-minute mochi prep so I don't have to stop by a fast food joint for the doof."_

I rolled my eyes a little with an amused expression:

 _Hoh Adam, you big heart...Wait, did he say mochi?_

My brother must've seen the brightening of my expression, for he smiles a bit slyly and quirks,

 _"If you help me out, maybe I'll save you a few squares?"_

"...Keep talkin'."

I could hear my friends lightly sigh at me in their own amusement, while Adam lets out a little chuckle.

 _"I figured the promise of free food would sweeten the deal...Oh, one more thing I should mention: Charlie has a hard time waiting in one spot for too long, so when you do find him, be sure to at least keep your eyes locked on his figure."_

"Gotcha. I'll see you soon."

 _"Catch you later, Addy."_

(Ping)

Tucking my gazer away in my pocket, I mutter in light exasperation,

"Sheesh, if it's not Terry, it's Adam cavorting me into brother-sister jobs..."

Tiffany chimes with a smile,

"At least the latter's less demanding about it...So, I guess we better head to the courtyard, huh?"

"Yeah yeah, we should."

We all start making our way towards the gate opening to the main Monorail station across the street...But as soon as we stepped foot into the area, we'd find ourselves staring with a much bigger crowd of spectators at a duel that was taking place.

"Oh!" "Hm, 'nother pair of fellow competitors."

...Once I got a better look at who was dueling, mind you, my surprise would scale a building.

"Next I activate Submersible Aero Shark's special ability! Here comes, Torpedo Takedown!"

 _Uh!...Shark..._

Turns out we arrived at the tail end of the match, for my friend's XYZ would blast away against that other kid, taking away their last 1200 Life Points, and ending the duel...But while all these other passers may have cheered for the spectacle, I found myself frowning a little.

 _Hmm...I thought he said he wasn't participating in the Carnival._

The best way to get your answers, of course, was to ask the source...

"That was quite the win, Shark."

He looks up at me as I approach, his expression no more or less neutral than mine.

"Athena..."

"What's confusing me is the level of seriousness, not something I would see in a guy who dueled just for kicks...You're competing in this tourney, aren't you?"

My question was more of a statement, to which the boy before me wouldn't deny, instead pivoting to stand sideways to my line of vision and answering without looking at me,

"Only for as long as I need to."

"What's that mean?"

"As soon as I do what I gotta do, I'm out."

My ears don't miss the disguised bitterness between his words, which told me all I needed to know.

"...Hmph, then I guess I shouldn't play the ignorant hypocrite and say, 'What're you talkin' about? You're nuts'."

That caught Shark's attention, and he meets my red with his cerulean...

"He's here, isn't he? That guy who played you in the Nationals a year ago, and you're seeking retribution."

"Uh...(Closes eyes) He is, and I am."

"I see...(Bitter smile) You better know what you're getting into, Shark. The sweetness of vengeance doesn't last for as long as some may argue, and leaves a nasty trail of destruction behind."

His eyes narrow a little as he retorts almost too quickly,

"Oh yeah? And what would _you_ know about it?"

"Tch, come on, your memory can't be that bad. Do you not recall my little story session in the hospital? I've witnessed it, time and time again..."

That shuts him up, and I look over the crowd of nameless faces with a distant glare as I add,

"And unfortunately for me...I'm once again caught under the bullseye."

"Uh! Do you mean...that bastard-"

"Yeah...Trilos, is also in the WDC. No idea how he managed to swing that, but he's nevertheless lurking around these streets somewhere, looking for me, and likely some poor innocent duelists to take his anger out on."

I turn to face Shark with a serious expression and clap a friendly hand on his shoulder.

"I'm telling you this so you'll keep your wits about you...and as a friendly reminder to not do anything so over the top that you'll tank your rep as a duelist again. Not saying the first time was your fault...but the second time will be if you let it."

...He says nothing in return, and after a few silent seconds, he lightly brushes my hand away before turning to walk off without another word, I watching him go with an X-Ray kind of gaze.

 _You better take my advice, Shark...I'd hate to have to pull you out of the quicksand again._

Trilos's POV

 _Keheheh, this has been alot easier than I thought it'd be. These wussies don't know what a real rumble looks like 'til it hits you in the jaw._

Only the first day of this fancy tournament, and I've already reached near-completion of my Heart Piece. Only missing one more slab of jewel. I was actually expecting a little more resistance than this, but then again, most of the duelists are green kids who've lived a privilege life. Got no clue what it means to really rough it, or how a true fight can damage you.

 _And I certainly left those brats quaking. Probably won't be able to pick up their disks for a few weeks._

The thought makes me laugh darkly as I continue my wander down a path near the entrance of an alleyway...

"Go, Photon Stream of Destruction!"

"Mm?"

 _What's this?_

I pause and turn back to look around the corner, seeing some teen only a year or so older than I am in a trench coat dishing out some solid pain (well, AR-solid) towards two punks I remember being a part of a rival gang.

 _Oooo, that'll hurt in the mornin'..._

"And now your souls are mine!"

Next thing I knew, the blond shoots out these ghostly arms that go diving into their chests to yank out these orbs of light for him to take...

"Heheheh. Thank you for your donation."

By brow rose the slightest with a sadistic smirk at the display.

 _Damn, this guy's all business...Interesting way to eliminate competition, both in and out this tourney.  
_

He turns to this little robot that was actin' sidekick or whatever for him and remarks with a dark smile,

"Two Number Cards for the price of one."

"Great de-deal."

 _Number Cards, huh? Aaah, he must be this Number Hunter my sources have blurted about..._

 _Well after seein' this, I'll admit, he looks tough enough for the role._

I steal away before the guy or his mecha-midget notice me, and start strolling down the street again while musing to myself with a grin,

 _But it's always the tough ones that're the most satisfying to break._

No POV

A couple minutes have passed since Shark left from the monorail courtyard, leaving Athena, Tiffany and Astral back to the task of finding the second former's brother's friend...

"Addy?"

"Yeah?"

"Should we, be worried about Shark?"

Shaking her head after a hm and making her long black hair tipped copper red tousle slightly, Athena reasons,

"Not at this present, Tiff. He seems calm enough that he shouldn't do anything too stupid for something as pointless as revenge."

"...Revenge is pointless?"

"It is at the end of the road. It's a lose-lose sitch like War and Violence; everybody feels bad about it later on, even the so-called victor...Hm?"

She puts her philosophical session on pause, when her red irises catch a familiar face sitting on a bench situated at the far perimeter of the courtyard.

 _Is, that...Uh, it is; Charlie!_

Hearing the noises of confusion from her two friends, Athena discretely points ahead to the man in the white suit, dark fedora and colourful sarape, before they hum in understanding...

"Yo. You're Charlie, right?"

He darts his teal green irises up at the address, and meets the red of his friend's younger sister.

"Adam sent me. Name's Athena, or Addy."

"He sent his, little sister?"

Once the matter was cleared up, the three persons now turned four would be standing closer to one of the exit points as Charlie mused with a chuckle,

"So Adam sent you to keep me rooted, huh? How are you suppose to do that?"

"Oh I've got my ways, don't you worry none...And this is a nice little break from the stress of the WDC, anyway."

"You're in the World Duel Carnival?"

"I am."

Charlie pulls out a card and suggests with a smile,

"Then what do you say to a little duel right here and now?"

"Oh?"

"See the thing is, I kind-a need to test this little card out..."

"Hey!"

Eyes turn to the left as a large, muscled guy with short pink hair comes walking over to the small group, a snide smirk on his face and Heart Piece holder raised.

"You in the hat. I see you're wavin' a card around. How 'bout we put a Heart Piece on the line right here and right now?"

The addressed replies calmly,

"Well, I'm not in the Carnival, but my friend Addy is. Why don't we wager one of her pieces?"

That idea wouldn't sit well with the said girl:

"Excu~se me?!"

"Relax. Seriously, with the streak of luck I'm having, there's no way this guy can beat me."

Athena hmphs and puffs her cheeks slightly with an annoyed huff usually more reserved for one of her friends with her.

 _Glad one of us is feelin' confident, but I don't think I like the idea of being a bargaining chip..._

 _Hoh well, worse case, I'll just make sure that oddball piece I won off of Cody's the one that'll be taken._

...Turning our view briefly to the top of the infamous Heartland Tower, we now check in with the masterminds behind the creation of this massive city-wide tournament having another holograph meeting for a progress update.

 _"Mister Heartland. How is our Kite doing?"_

"Good. Kite doesn't even know what it means to lose."

 _"Excellent."_

"And as of now, over half of those who have been competing in my Duel Carnival have been eliminated. Many of those remaining must certainly possess Number Cards."

 _"Then everything is proceeding exactly as we envisioned it would. I hope you appreciate the opportunity we have here."_

Doctor Faker forms an inquisitive frown:

 _"The envoy from Astral World came here in order to bring us down. However, how fortunate that upon his arrival, an accident occurred and his ninety-nine Number Cards were scattered into the wind!"_

He curves his mouth upward in anticipation as he concludes,

 _"That accident bought us the time we need to plan our counter measures! We need to gather those Number Cards and prevent that envoy from remembering what he was sent here to do, Mister Heartland. Do not let me down!"_

Bowing, the male with green hair replies firmly,

"I won't."

...Moving away now from the dastardly schemes being cooked up behind the scenes of this Duel Monsters tournament, we return to the Monorail Station Courtyard as Charlie gets into his duel against the muscular stranger, wagering one of Athena's Heart Pieces as an ante to compensate for his lack of official participation, much to the girl's increasing irritation.

"Uuugh, I can't believe I causally agreed to this! This jock's gonna knock ya flat!"

He calmly replies,

"Don't worry, Athena. I'm not gonna lose."

Folding her arms with a hmph, the girl with red irises grumbles,

"You're extremely lucky that I have more than one Heart Piece under my belt, or it'd be my fist flying your way instead of one of this guy's three, repeat, three XYZ monsters..."

The monsters to which she was pointing to were fairly strong at that: a Level Four with 2100 Attack Points resembling a quadruped beast made from titanium, the second a Level Eight with 3000 Attack Points in the guise of at three-horned, upright dragon with a silver/blue/black/yellow colour scheme, no wings and a very long tail, and the third a Level Two with 1500 Attack Points with the bizarre appearance of what can be guessed as a pterodactyl-like monster with no wings, skin the texture of rough sandstone, lime green armour on its chest, and enveloped in a white-blue flame!

"Not only that, there is a considerable Life Point gap between them."

By that, the extraterrestrial male with blue skin was referring to the 100/4000 difference between Charlie and his opponent...Facepalming, Athena moans,

"Tiffany, Astral, next time someone talks me into doing something this dumb, I need one or both of you to do me a big favour."

"And what would that be?" "What?"

She exclaims as if were the most obvious notion in the world,

"Talk me out of it!"

Chuckling slightly, Charlie remarks,

"You sound just like your brother back in the day...Don't get so worked up. After all, Life is just a Carnival: you're suppose to have fun."

Astral soaked in those words with an intrigued expression.

"Life is...a Carnival..."

Athena, on the other hand, wasn't in the mood for a lesson on life.

"It's not easy to have fun when you're about to lose something important thanks to another's actions."

The tall male with green eyes and mod-like black hair retorts as he draws his next card,

"Who said anything about losing?...Well, lookie what we have here! I'm activating the Reload Spell Card! This allows me to return my hand to my deck, and then, I shuffle up my deck, and draw a new card for every card that I return."

On that note, he draws a trio of new cards to use during this turn.

"Here we go!...Uh-oh. Not sure that was a good idea."

Athena shouts in aggravation as her cornflower blue-eyed friend gently holds back her waving left fist,

"Then why would you go through it, ya dumbass?!"

"Easy, Addy, easy..."

Revealing his nervousness to be false, Charlie smiles and jokes,

"Ju~st kidding. I'm activating Triple Ace!"

One of two face-downs on his field flips upward, showcasing an image of three Aces laying atop a roulette table for all eyes to see...

"When I have three of the same Level One Monsters in my hand, I can use Triple Ace to summon all three of 'em. So now I can toss three Dice Levelers onto the field!"

At that, he sets his hand onto the field, summoning three copies of a Level One Monster with 100 Attack and Defense Points, ascertaining an appearance that looked something along the lines of a semi-warped symbol for the water attribute, with two large gloved hands 'attached'. The muscle-bound male with pink hair taunts,

"Oooooo, a hundred Attack Points. What, you givin' up or somethin'?"

"Actually, this is the part where I start winning. First, I activate Dice Leveler's special ability!"

Three dice materialize and are grabbed by Charlie's waiting hand, causing Tiffany and Athena to wonder respectively,

"What's he doing now?"

"Beats the hell outta me, but if he wants to really gamble, I say go ahead. Can't sink any deeper."

 _Still, to wait this long for a comeback...How cocky can one guy get?_

"Time to test my luck."

Charlie tosses the dice down, causing the three monsters to each toss a singular die with matching celestial schemes.

"When I take a chance and roll the dice, their Levels increase by the number that comes up."

...And much to his opponent's shock as well as the spectators, all three dice stop at six!  
Athena curses with a wide-eyed expression, while Astral puts his math skills to work.

"The odds of rolling six on three dice at the same time are one in two-hundred and sixteen."

The male who was fortunate enough to accomplish such a roll just smiles and comments,

"Heheh, looks like Lady Luck's wanting me to power up my Levelers to Level Seven."

"And just like that, he has three Level Seven Monsters on his field..."

Hearing his suspicion, Athena asks Astral in a whisper,

"You're sensing something's up, right?"

He nods, and we turn back to Charlie as he says to his opponent,

"You've had a nice little run, my friend, but the winds of fate are about to change. (Raises arm) I now Overlay all three of my Dice Levelers!"

The triple copies transform into three bolts of yellow energy to go twisting together in the skies before crashing downward into the swirling galactic vortex that opened up on the field. Recognizing the portal's design, the girl with red irises stiffens and exclaims mentally,

 _Oooh, no...!_

"With these monsters, I build the Overlay Network! And then, I XYZ Summon, Number Seven: Lucky Straight!"

The Number Monster we would witness rising from the depths started as an emblem for a folded circus tent, before unfolding into a large figure in a jester-like form, complete with a full-body suit of onyx/yellow stripes, roulette wheels acting as wrist cuffs and a neck collar, curled and heeled shoes of mahogany brown, and wielded a very long cane in its right hand with the number seven symbol at the top. They were also Rank Seven, with 700 Life Points, and held three Overlay Units. The two young teens and one celestial being were left in a mix of awe and realization.

"Whoa..."

"So Charlie had a Number all this time..."

"Interesting. Perhaps this explains his luck..."

Charlie continues onward with his turn:

"And now I'm activating the Dream Dice Spell Card! It's a game of chance! I give this here dream die a roll, and if it comes up a six, all your monsters lose all their Attack Points! But anything else, and its my monster that'll be losing its Attack Points."

The die tumbles on the ground...before miraculously stopping on a six!

"Whaaat?!" Athena was nearly as floored as the muscled male:

"No way! Another six?!"

 _Okay, now my suspicion alarm's ringing..._

"Bingo. Now your monsters are busted. Hope you weren't fond of those Attack Points."

By the end of Charlie's mock, his opponent's three allies were enshrouded in a black haze that robs them of their strengths...Astral once again makes a comment on the probability.

"The odds of rolling that many sixes in a row are, twelve-hundred-ninety-six to one."

The man with teal green irises makes the call:

"Alright! Do it, Lucky Straight!"

"Heh, I can take 700 points of damage!"

"You might be taking alot more than that, 'cause I'm activating Lucky Straight's special ability! When Lucky Straight battles, I can use one Overlay Unit to roll the dice! And then, Lucky Straight's Attack Points get multiplied by the number that comes up."

Charlie adds as he tosses his fifth die through this duel,

"So if luck is on my side, this could be the end, _my friend_."

The space-coloured die clatters across the ground...and for the third time, we find ourselves staring at a six!

"Whooo-hooo! Now we just multiply Lucky Straight's 700 Attack Points by six, and then, this one's in the books."

That was certainly no lie, for with 4200 Attack Points coming at his virtually defenseless field, the bulky male with pink hair was about to meet his maker.

"This can't be!"

Using their cane, the Number monster strikes down all three of the opposing monster in one swing, leaving their wielder to go flying back from the impact as he loses all of his Life Points!

...Watching Lucky Straight vanish with the AR vision, Charlie says to himself with hope laced in his tone,

 _The rumours about this card were true. It's incredible._

Tucking his fedora down a touch while turning his gaze downward, he adds more seriously,

 _Just hope the luck it brings holds out until tomorrow, when I really need it..._

Removing her own duel gazer shortly after Tiffany did hers, Athena mutters with bated breath,

"Now that's something for the Duel Monster History Books. Making that big a U-Turn in just one go..."

Astral lightly argues,

"But that turnaround depended so much on Chance. Interesting...seven-thousand-seven-hundred-seventy-six to one. Those were the odds that he was facing."

Struggling onto all fours, the guy who challenged Charlie barks like a sore loser,

"You cheated, I know it! Nobody rolls that many sixes in a row!"

The taller, thinner male just chuckles...before finding himself under yet another spotlight!

"Hm?"

Spotting the police helicopter casting the light, Tiffany wonders,

"What's this about?...Wait..."

 _That text I got from Dad a few hours ago said he was going to be working late 'cause of an important case..._

 _Uh! Did this man-?!_

She would receive her answer in the form of several police cars rolling in from below to block off a possible escape route as another helicopter came flying in...

"Charlie McCay! You're completely surrounded with no exit points! Surrender now while you're still able!"

Tiffany jolts to attention from the voice broadcasted through the megaphone.

"Uh! That was dad!"

Athena asks in her own surprise,

"Your dad's here?!"

 _Him...on top of all these other boys in blue..._

She turns glaring eyes of red onto the man deemed responsible:

"Charlie!"

He glances at her as she demands,

"What did you do; why are there cops here?!"

"Now take it easy there, kiddo, there's a simple explanation..."

He's cut off by another amplified shout from Detective Arata:

"Get down on the ground with your hands in the air!"

...Surprisingly, Charlie moves to comply:

"Whatever you say..."

...But he only goes as far as placing his palms on the back of his head, before retorting,

"See, the problem here, fellas, is that there's somethin' I gotta do. I really don't have time to hang out."

Fwipping Lucky Straight into position, he whispers with a secretive smile,

"It's showtime," as he's circled by several officers...

"Alright people: who's up for a game of chance?"

(...Sheen, whooooooooooosh)

The Number Card flashes that bright light again, before creating a whirlwind to go spinning around Charlie's body, the strength of the current causing everyone to flinch back and shield themselves...

If things weren't already pressing, the gust suddenly forces Athena's deck case open, stealing away one of her cards before her and Astral's eyes!

"Athena...your Number Card!"

"Auh, Big Eye!"

She wasn't the only one experiencing a thieving crisis: we soon see several dozens of other Duel Monster Cards join the whirlwind, much to the dismay of the duelists victimized.

"W-What's going on?!" "Oh no!" "My cards!"

The winds only increase in strength, and go traveling upward to wobble against the neon sign for a local cafe known as Do! Do! Donut!, loosening the support screws...

"Athena, look up!"

"Hm?...Aah!"

"You might, want to run."

(Bzzzz-creeeak...CLANK, shoooooooooom...)

The sign falls off the top-front of the skyscraper building, and starts skydiving downward for the courtyard below, causing all passers to yell in a panic before scrambling to get away...

"Tiffany, Athena!"

The former girl's father then appears from behind several officers lined up with their riot shields to quickly grab both young teens and drag them fast to a safe distance from the crash zone.

"Uh, Dad!"

"Officer Quen!...Wait, Charlie!"

The man of the hour did not move an inch from his spot...

(CRASH)

As soon as the neon sign harshly kissed the ground, Athena's body began to tremble with sick worry over her brother's friend's livelihood.

 _N...No..._

Tiffany was nowhere any better, whimpering in fear before burying her face into her father's work shirt.

"Daddy..."

The male with pale olive skin, brown Zappa mustache matching the shade of his flattop hair, and dark blue eyes gathers both girls into his strong arms before working to calm them down as best he could.

"Shhh, it'll be alright, girls, you're safe...Hm? Uh!"

Hearing the gasp, Tiffany and Athena look up to watch with Arata as all the cards stolen away by the wild winds go soaring towards a central point where the doughnut sign crashed.

"But, how-"

"Unless...he's still alive!"

Indeed he was: through a stroke of good fortune, Charlie was standing in the right spot to avoid getting maimed by the fallen sign, and was now gathering the Duel Monster cards into his waiting hand, much to the protest of their rightful owners.

"How is he doing that?!" "Hey, give those back!" "This is against the Law!"

Ignoring the agitated cries, he comments in near amusement,

"Good thing I was standing right here. This doughnut could've hurt me. Seriously, I mean, talk about close calls, right? But hey, close calls make life more fun, and since Life is a Carnival, the more fun I have, the better."

The girl with long, shaggy black hair tipped copper red almost couldn't believe what she was hearing.

 _How...Just how can he speak so casually, about dodging death?_

 _...I can't even talk that way, despite myself...It's all numb and bleak to me._

"Hey, Addy."

She snaps her head to Charlie's direction upon his call...

"When your brother gets here, tell 'im I'm sorry I had to bolt!"

With that, the man in the white suit and tan sarape takes off, shaking the girl out of her stupor with an angry expression.

"Hey! You're not getting away with stealing my Number, or with what you just did!"

Athena then starts rushing after him, with Tiffany and her father running after her.

"Wait, Addy!" "Hold on, Athena!"

The three get as far as down the escalator from the courtyard...

(Vrrrroooooom, screeeeech)

Before a familiar red pickup truck with white stripes running down the hood comes stopping fast at the side of the road they came to, driven by noneother than Adam Fujina!

"...Bro?"

Getting out from the driver's side, we see the tame mullet-haired male was wearing a green coat that matched the shade of the flaking in his grey irises, a pale yellow sweater, dark grey khakis, and brown sneakers.

"Alright, what's that daredevil done now?"

Moving to sit on a park bench near the entrance way to the Monorail courtyard, Adam receives a summary from the girls and Detective Quen about what just went down...

"So he summoned a tornado that blew a sign down and stole away people's duel cards before taking off? (Facepalm) Haaah, that sounds so like the idiot. I should've just drove down here before thinking of his meal request..."

He turns to meet Tiffany's father's dark blue irises with his grey.

"And before all this, you say he was responsible for a burglary at the city museum?"

"Correct. According to my superior's report from the museum curators, the card that your friend stole has been granting everyone whoever wielded it with an incredible streak of Luck. In just a few short months, people have been winning fortunes and became overnight celebrities."

Tiffany's eyes widen as she mutters in awe,

"That's crazy," and Athena asks her brother,

"Okay, I think now would be a good time for more details, Adam. You said that you and Charlie went to college together for a few years, right, but what did he get into after he graduated?...He's not a con artist, is he?"

Laughing a bit, the male with the black tamed mullet replies with a tired smile,

"No, Charlie may be reckless, but he doesn't have that kind of grit...He actually majored in Anthropology, and sometime around his second year, he started an internship with our Dad."

"Whoa, really?!"

"Mhm. Even went on a few expeditions together, and I myself did a collaboration project with them and a few other historians...(Small frown) But once he got the taste of the adventure bug, Charlie was off like a bullet, becoming one of those amateur treasure hunters."

Looking out into the distance, Adam remarks with a sad smile,

"It's funny, though: every time it feels like years since I last saw him, that's when he will show up out of the blue...Hah, I sometimes wish he could be more grounded, but, then he wouldn't be my best friend..."

"Well friendship or not, Charlie McCay will still have to answer for multiple robberies and endangering the public."

The young adult turns to Arata and nods with a regretfully understanding expression.

"I know..."

"Alright...I think I've heard all I need to go on, and I'm assuming that none of you are simply going to stand back?"

The eldest male receives a collective shake of 'No', making him sigh a little.

"I thought not...Very well. I won't stop you, but I will implore each and every one of you to use caution and contact me if you find McCay. (Glance) Girls, stay together and do not approach him alone."

"Yes, sir." "Promise, dad."

"Good. Now Adam, since you know McCay's pattern better than most, I would appreciate some further cooperation on your part by assisting me in the search."

"Of course, sir. We can take my truck."

With that, both adults climb into the red pickup and drive away, leaving Athena, Tiffany and Astral as their own search party...

"So, where should we start looking, Addy?"

"Hm, well, if we did this based on Charlie's label as an amateur treasure hunter, I'd say we should hit other places like the museum where he took Number Seven from...But that'd be way too easy."

The girl with red irises pivots her head up her mid-left to meet Astral's mismatched white and gold.

"Have you got any ideas?"

"Just this one...It has to do with the words he used during our encounter with him."

"Words?"

"Yes. That, phrase...'Life is a Carnival'. At first, I was not sure why I recognized those words...and then, I realized. Eighty-sixth District, Seventh Area. I have seen those words while riding the D-Line Monorail with you. They spin around at the top of a building. I admit this would be what you or Tiffany would call, 'kind of a stretch', but it might be worth looking around that rail line. Perhaps if we were to look around those areas, we may find this Charlie McCay, and retrieve your Number Card."

Feeling that this was a good enough clue after re-discussing the information with her other friend, Athena would then be leading the charge towards the D-Line Station...And it would seem the authorities had caught onto a similar tip, for come about halfway there, the two teenage girls and one celestial being spot several police cars driving under the bridge going over the main city highway.

"See that?"

"Yep. Looks like they're heading to the Bay Area...One of the D-Line's more noted stops. Charlie must be there."

Small Time Skip

Arriving above the Bay Area monorail station, we find the party of several dozen police officers already gathered, finishing up the last of the prepping before going forth with their second phase in apprehending Charlie...

 _"Lieutenant. We've stopped the monorail and evacuated all passengers and personnel. Suspect is surrounded."_

The bulk of the uniformed mass was crowded around one of the transportation vehicle's entrance/exit points, boxing the 'person of interest' in with riot shields and batons at ready.

"Get down on your knees, McCay!"

"Man, you guys just do not give up, do you?"

Holding up Lucky Straight between his right fingers, the man with teal green irises quirks,

"Did your bosses not give you the memo about what this card can do?"

By that point, Athena, Tiffany and Astral had made their arrival, rushing past the crowd through the ticket barrier, much to the protest of one of the station masters controlling the crowd.

"Uh! Hey, the monorail's closed!"

"It's alright, my good man."

The male turns to see Arata and Adam appear next, the former chiding firmly,

"They're with me," before he and the latter continue after the girls...

(Ca-BANG)

Suddenly, a crash of energy summoned by the Number Card playing a hand in this latest fiasco comes to blast down at the area near the monorail, knocking the wall of policemen to the ground while simultaneously glitching the train's control panel to life...

"No hard feelings, boys, but I got somewhere I really need to be."

On that note, Charlie darts back into the monorail, while Athena leads the other four in the odd party inside another cart just before the large rail vehicle starts to roll away down the tracks...And it seems that the electrical bolt from a moment ago did much more than jolting the monorail's failsafe, as we spot some sparking coming from the police helicopters, much to the dismay of the ones driving them via police scanner.

 _"S-Something's wrong! Our controls are jammed!"_

...Inside the monorail, the party of five slowly creep towards the door connecting their cart to Charlie's, and Arata holds a hand of silence before making contact with his superior.

(Ping)

"Sargent. This is Detective Quen. Suspect is on the Westbound D-Rail, moving through the Bay Area. I have three citizen investigators with me, each of which familiar with McCay, and we are about to make our approach."

 _"Citizen invest-?!...Haaah, copy that, Detective. Approach with caution, and have those three 'investigators' stay behind you the entire time."_

"Roger that, sir."

 _"And Quen?...When this case is complete, I expect you in my office with a completed report and ready for a conversation."_

"Yes, sir."

(Ping)

As her father tucks away his duel gazer, the girl with black bobbed hair asks meekly,

"Are, you in trouble, dad?"

He replies with a half wry, half nervous smile,

"Aeh, not anymore than usual, honey." Athena asks with an awkward smile,

"You and your boss butting heads again?"

"What can I say? He and I have, clashing ideals to what is considered helpful during an investigation...But nevermind my work life."

Arata forms a serious gaze and says,

"There's no exit point for McCay now, which means this is our last chance to try and bring him down peacefully...Are all of you ready?"

He receives a collection of firm nods, before all eyes focus on the door as the detective reaches to slowly and quietly open it.

(Sliiiiide...)

The five slip their way inside the next train cart where Charlie was, he currently laughing over making it this far...Adam would be the one to make their presence known to the gambling man.

"Charlie."

Jolting quiet, the other turns around to see Athena and Tiffany glaring his way, Astral sharing their expressions, while Arata held a more stoic, serious gaze, and his old friend a sad frown.

"...Adam...So, you found me. Little quicker than I imagined."

"Times have changed, my friend."

"That they have..."

Arata speaks up next, his tone strong and convicted:

"Charlie McCay, you're under arrest for multiple counts of Theft and Endangering the Public. This is your last chance to surrender before this gets anymore out of hand than it already has."

"Aah, I recognize your voice from the museum. You're the one who tried to talk me into giving up..."

Feeling the pierce of red irises, Charlie turns to look over at Athena.

"Whoa-hoh, that's a real scary glare, kiddo. You could make a ghost shiver with that face."

"...You took one of my Number Cards. Return it to me right now."

"Heh, direct and to the point like the detective here. Well as it happens, I jammed this monorail so it can't be stopped by the control center."

"Gh!"

"And I'm afraid our destination is all the way on the other side of the city...So-uh, whaddo you say we pass the time with a little duel?"

"A duel? Really?...At a time like this?"

"Sure, why not? And if you beat me, I'll give you your card back, and maybe consider coming with the detective here quietly."

Athena's brother and Tiffany's father were appalled by the man's proposal.

"Wha-Charlie!"

"McCay, you can't be serious! What could possibly be gained from a du-"

"I accept your challenge."

Eyes of surprise fall on the girl with long black hair tipped copper red.

"Athena!"

"Young lady, you do understand the seriousness of this situation."

"Of course I do, Officer Quen...but nevertheless, I need to do this, to prevent a bigger mess from ensuing down the road. Besides..."

She turns to meet Arata's dark blue irises with her red:

"Given what Charlie just said regarding the current conditions of this monorail, there's no telling if this thing will actually stop when we reach where he's having this go...at least, not on a dime."

A few seconds of confusion pass...before both adult males catch onto what the young girl was implying.

"Rgh!" "You're thinking-?!"

"Yeah, which is why I'm begging you both to leave Charlie's position to me, and go find a way to get some control over this potential runaway train."

Reluctant though they were, given the underlining danger factor, Adam and Arata had no other choice but to trust Athena's word.

"Al...Alright."

"Okay, sis. We'll leave this to you...but please be careful."

"I'll do my best, bro."

The girl's focus turns back to Charlie as she finalizes her response to his challenge.

"Okay, Charlie...let's get it on! Duel Disk: go! Duel Gazer: activate and open the gate to the impossible!"

The opponents climb out of the cart to stand on the roof for more room as the AR World finishes warming up.

 **Duel Interface Set...Augmented Reality Vision Link Established.**

Tiffany sets herself up by her arms in the rooftop emergency exit, and her father orders just before speeding after Adam for the engine,

"Tiffany, keep both eyes on them at all times, and don't hesitate to drag them back inside if it gets too dangerous!"

"Yes, dad!"

 _My eyes won't leave them for even a second...Athena, please stay rooted to the roof._

"(Both Duelists) Let's Duel!"

(Jerk)

"Wh-Whoa!"

Athena stumbles some as the monorail makes a sharp turn across the tracks, and Tiffany cries out the former's name as they force themselves steady with a nerved pant of breath.

"Hah, hah...I'm alright, Tiff!"

 _Damn, fighting for balance is only gonna make this duel alot harder..._

"That's right, Addy, don't be scared."

She darts her irises up to stare ahead at Charlie as he says with confidence,

"Nothing bad will happen. Luck is going to protect us, so let's get this duel started!"

As the train's whistle blared over the rattling wheels, the girl thinks to herself with a brave frown,

 _I dunno if I can fully believe him...but he's right. Freaking out won't help any..._

 _I need to look Fear in the eye, and stare it into oblivion. That's, how I'll prevail in this battle._


	32. Luck of the Draw, Luck of Life, Part Two

We return now to the Bay Area of Heartland City, where the duel between Athena Fujina and Charlie McCay was about to take place atop the D-Line Monorail running through this section of the winding streets, so the former could win back her stolen Number Eleven: Big Eye, and hopefully put a stop to the madness that was Number Seven: Lucky Straight's ability of good fortune that for this round, was causing more problems than it was worth...

Now here's where we, like most of the rest caught into the ongoing event, beg the following question: for who and why exactly was Charlie going to all this trouble?

...

The answer lies with a young soul gazing out the window from a hospital bed set within the children's ward of a medical building smaller than the main hospital planted within the inner city. She looked to be no older than perhaps eight or nine, had periwinkle blue hair cut into a pixie style with a little star hair clip on her left fringe, pale peach skin, dark purple irises reflecting nerves and desperation, and wore a frilly yellow nightgown.

"...May."

She emits a startled noise and turns herself away from the window to see a friendly-smiling brunette nurse approach the side of her bed.

"It's almost time for your surgery."

"Mmh..."

"Don't worry. You're just going to take a nap, and when you wake up, it'll be done."

Even with the reassurance, May was still insistent for another's arrival.

"But, uh...my uncle should be here."

Cutting away back to the top of the fast-traveling train likely heading for that destination, Tiffany, she positioned with her torso poking out of the emergency exit opening to the outside roof and inside ceiling of the one cart, calls out her worries to her friend currently taking the risk of dueling in such a dangerous setting, using empty threats to prevent herself from going hysterical.

"Addy, if you fall off this train, I'll never forgive you!"

Said girl with red irises pivots her head back to flash a reassuring, soft smirk while calling back,

"Duly noted, Tiff!"

She turns back to face her front as Charlie says to her,

"Alright, Addy. It's time to let the games begin."

"You got it, and I'll be taking the opener! (Swipe) I Draw! I place a monster face-down in Defense Mode, and follow that with another card face-down, ending my turn."

As Athena's turn ends, Astral wonders while fixating his gaze on the man she was starting battle with,

 _Is Charlie once again going to rely on luck?_

He would receive his answer soon enough:

"My turn. I Draw! I activate the Take a Chance Spell Card! Pass me the dice, 'cause Take a Chance allows me to roll a die once per turn, and if it comes up a six, my current Life Points are multiplied by five. Any other number, my Life Points return to where they started before I activated the Spell."

Humming to herself with a frowning glare, the girl with long shaggy black hair tipped copper red brushes some of her blustered locks away while muttering for her and Astral's ears only,

"Wonder if that Lucky Straight's gonna grant him another shot this time. That has to be where the power of his streak's coming from, right?"

"Most likely. How else would he have rolled a six five times in a row in his last duel? The odds of rolling six sixes in a row are forty-six-thousand-six-hundred-fifty-six to one."

The man with mod-like black hair and teal green eyes holds the die at ready.

"Watch closely." Athena retorts,

"Oh believe me, I will. I'm siding with skepticism and sayin' you're not gonna get it."

The die is tossed, metamorphosing into the larger, dark galactic design halfway, toppling across the ground...to stop at six!

"What?! Unreal!"

"Suddenly, I got 20000 Life Points!"

Athena growls a little in angry disbelief...

"'As long as the sun that shines stays complete, I never have to fear defeat'."

 _Huh? What's he babblin' about now?_

"Which means my incredible lucky streak continues. I now summon, Majestic Jester!"

A flurry of fireworks explode on Charlie's side of the field, before a Level One Monster with zero Attack Points portraying a portly clown holding up a set of dice bigger than its hands appears.

"Majestic Jester, take out her face-down monster!"

"Say what?! Your monster's got no strength to dish out!"

"Go, Dark Pantomime!"

The weak clown monster expels a shot of shadowy energy against Athena's face-down creature, revealing it as Gogogo Golem...

"My golem's got 1500 Defense over your jester, smart-guy! You're the one who's gonna get whacked!"

"Not necessarily. Majestic Jester's ability activates."

"...Oh, crap."

"Luck's gonna decide if I'm gonna take damage or not."

Charlie's monster positions itself ready atop a giant dark-coloured die...

"If I roll a six while Majestic Jester is attacking, your monster is instantly destroyed. Any other number comes up, and this clown is goin' down."

Athena shifted her footing into a defensive stance, uncertain of the next outcome, while also forming an annoyed tick-mark directed at Astral as he voiced his calculations of the probability once again.

"The odds of this happening are two-hundred-seventy-nine-thousand-nine-hundred-thirty-six to one."

"Okay, that's getting old real fast, math wizard, so put a sock in it before I do it for you."

Charlie forms a grin and exclaims,

"Let's roll! (Toss) Ha!"

The little white die flies and melds with Majestic Jester's halfway...and that's when Athena spots it: a transparent flash of a numeral symbol before the die formed into the galactic scheme.

 _Uh! What was...I only saw it for a second, but, I could've sworn I saw the number seven before the die transformed._

 _(Narrows irises) Is that how the Number's doing it, then?_

Her answer would come in the form of yet another six.

"Dammit!" "Implausible."

The man who rolled the die was all smirks for the outcome compared to the celestial being/young teen pair.

"Alright! Gogogo Golem is done for!"

Pirouetting atop the die in a fast spin, Majestic Jester shoots the die straight at the defending golem, destroying them in a cluster of pixels...!

"I place one card face-down and end my turn."

(Whoo-whoooooooo...)

The monorail comes up on another left turn of the tracks, and the wheels screech sharply against the rails, making the carts wobble and the three people atop the roof (or halfway to the top in Tiffany's case) fight for balance again...The girl with the black bob of hair cries out to the other young teen,

"Addy, hurry! I dunno if dad and Adam can get this thing under control in time!"

Charlie retorts with a smug grin,

"Don't worry about that. Worry about the fact that you have no chance of winning."

As he laughs, Athena grinds her teeth before jeering back,

"Says you! My Draw! Gagaga Magician, you're on deck!"

Said Level Four spellcaster is summoned a few feet in front of the girl...

"I may not invest in Luck, but I'm still gonna put my skills to the test! I activate, Monster Slots!"

The green monster-shaped slot machine appears, and projects three Duel Monster cards to spin.

"With this card, by banishing a monster the same Level as Gagaga, I can draw a new monster from my deck. If it's the same Level as the others, they're summoned straight to the field."

"But if it is not, Athena, the card you draw and your Gagaga Magician will be banished. This is foolish."

She side-glares at Astral and retorts,

"It will be if you keep being a Negative Ned about it...Besides, if this works, I'll have an XYZ Monster at ready."

"But it's not gonna work. Fortune is favouring me right now, which means you're out of luck."

Facing in front of her, Athena counters dryly to Charlie's boast,

"Who said I actually believed in Luck in the first place?"

"Huh?"

"The only thing I believe in during a duel are two things: my cards and my own raw power."

At that, the girl with red irises takes hold of her next awaiting card...

"(Swipe) Draw!...Grh!"

Unfortunately for her, she would wind up drawing Gagaga Girl, a Level Three Monster, thereby losing both her and Gagaga Magician to banishment.

"Guess it wasn't their time to shine..."

"Sorry, Athena. Looks like your beliefs are gonna get trounced by Lady Luck."

"The duel's not over yet, Charlie. I end my turn."

Yet while Athena may have held strong to her faith, Astral's was starting to wane a little from the displays of their opponent's gambling success.

"It occurs to me, that the odds of us defeating him will be, fifty-million to one."

"Rgh, come on, Astral! It's obviously the Number's fault he's having a lucky streak! Just show some gumption and we'll find a way to break it!"

Hearing her side of the conversation, Charlie cuts in to retort back,

"Don't you get it, Addy? If Luck isn't on your side, everything else goes out the window."

"Tch, same-dif with Sanity. What's your point?"

"I always admired your old man. I thought he had everything: Courage, Intelligence, Charisma, Passion...But you know what he didn't have? He didn't have Luck on his side."

"...I know, and neither did I. Still don't."

Charlie forms an expression of surprise and confusion from the girl's dry-toned words, she forming a bitter smile as she goes on to say,

"I know you're talkin' about when he, and mom, vanished...and you're right. Luck wasn't in their wheelhouse that day...and I can't say it'll ever be anytime soon. It hasn't been on my side either: I've been through the kinds of Hell a kid should only have night terrors about. (Frown) And even though I've very slowly begun to heal...Lady Luck's given me little to jackshit to look forward to."

"Uh..."

"But hey, I won't waste our time with my sob story. We've got a duel to get through."

Athena gestures a hand with a small smirk:

"So go ahead. Try and knock me down with your 'Luck', Charlie. Make your attempt to prove Fortune is most important."

"R-Rh...It's my turn. I Draw! Time to play Take a Chance again! If I roll a six, my Life Points multiply by five! Rrra-hah!"

The man in the white suit and dark-shaded fedora throws down the die, and once again, Athena would spot that transparent numeral flash.

 _There it is again: I know I saw a Seven!_

(Click, topple...)

And the little cube would stop on,

"Aw man, not another six!"

 _Okay, now I'm positive that Lucky Straight's tweaking the odds..._

But while she may have drawn a reasonable conclusion to the strange goings-on, Tiffany was still baffled by the continuing streak.

"How does this keep happening...?!" Charlie replies smugly,

"Fortune favours the bold. Now I'm sitting on 100000!"

Athena exclaims with wide eyes as she watched his Life Points break Duel Monster records,

"Auh, that's just out of bounds, man!"

"And now by activating the Release Change Spell, I can toss a monster off my field, then summon another monster with the same Level to take its place. So say goodbye to Majestic Jester..."

The monster that loved to clown around disappears into the Graveyard...

"And then say hello to Dice Leveler!"

And that seemingly weak Level One monster with 100 Attack Points rises to replace the jester.

"Next I activate the Monster Slots Spell Card!"

"The same card I tried using..."

"That's right, but somehow, I know things are gonna end differently for me...First, I choose Level One Dice Leveler, and then I banish Level One Majestic Jester from my Graveyard!"

The first two slots on the gambling machine stop to display the said monsters...

"Now, if the card I draw is a Level One Monster, I can place that monster on my field."

Charlie swipes up his next card, and the last slot slows...to stop on another Dice Leveler!

"Yes! There we go! It's Dice Leveler!"

While the monster's wielder may have been fired up over having the ability to bring forth another copy, Athena was about ready to curse to the skies and back again.

"Gh! Dammit...This is like what happened in that last duel..."

"Nice catch, and here's where I make this a triple jackpot. I summon a third Dice Leveler!"

As that one settles on the left of the first, Astral mutters in concern,

"This is bad, Athena," who replies lowly,

"I know..."

"And now I roll the dice, and Dice Leveler's Level increases by the number I roll."

Charlie holds the die towards himself:

"Come on...(toss) all sixes!"

As the celestial being and young teenage girl watch the triple dice fly, the former found himself commenting on the probability out of nerves again.

"The odds of him rolling three more sixes are-"

But the latter would cut him off with a shout of,

"Nope! Don't say it; don't wanna hear it! Getting sick of it!"

The little cubes clatter onto the train roof...and stop once again on a six...!

"Yeaaaaah!"

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Athena groans irritably and comments,

"Criminy, this whole duel's gone from miraculous to ridiculous. What is this world coming to when people can use cheats like Lady Luck?"

"Call it what you like, kiddo, but it won't change the fact that all three of my Level Ones have become Level Sevens...And now, I'm just gonna overlay my Dice Levelers, and build myself a little Overlay Network!"

All three of Charlie's monsters transform into yellow streams of light, shooting into the air before diving back down into the galactic vortex.

"I XYZ Summon, Number Seven: Lucky~ Straight!"

At that, the jester-inspired Number Monster rises to the field at ready...

"There it is."

"The Number Card...!"

...The human currently under the monster's hold displays the back of his right palm where the glowing red numeral was.

"What can I say, Athena? Life is a Carnival!"

Athena would only grumble with a glare directed at Lucky Straight,

"Great...so now what?"

"Whaddo you mean 'now what'? Now you lose. As long as the sun that shines stays complete...heheheh, I never have to fear defeat."

(Screeeeeech...)

The moving battleground swerves through another corner, and Tiffany lets out a little yelp, thinking to herself frantically,

 _Hoooh man, I hope Addy defeats this guy soon, or no one will be conscious to celebrate a victory._

(Briiing, briiing)

"Uh?"

The girl with the whipping black bob of hair then receives a call request, and opens the chat to find herself speaking to,

"Oh, Adam!"

 _"Hey, Tiffany. How's everything going; are Addy and Charlie still dueling?"_

"(Gulp) Mhm, and so far Charlie has an impossible lead over Addy thanks to that crazy card...Did you and dad find a way to take control of the monorail?"

Zooming forward and diving into the control room of the engine, we find the young man with jade-flaked grey irises and black mullet kneeling near the older male with the black Zappa beard and flat cut hair who was on his back under the main panel, tweaking with the wiring inside the machinery. Adam replies to Tiffany with a crease of worry etched into his forehead,

"Not so far. The system's failsafe is totaled in ways even Terry couldn't fix, so we're gonna try to hot-wire an emergency stop. The only thing I can report is that we'll be arriving at the next stop in a little less than seven minutes."

 _"Seven minutes? Mph!...That's not alot of time..."_

"I know, but we'll find a way, Tiffany, don't worry."

Arata calls from his position,

"Just remain calm, sweetheart, and focus on making sure McCay and Athena stay on this train! I promise...I promise we will stop this chaos on a happy note."

 _"...I believe you, daddy, and, I will."_

The conversation ends, and after letting out a big breath, the Heartland Police Detective says to the young professor assistant/woodcrafter,

"Adam...I don't know if we can stop this monorail, so let's at least aim for alerting the coming station of our arrival. If worse comes to worst...we grab the girls and McCay, and prep for impact."

"Uh!...Right."

Meanwhile, back out on the rooftop of the monorail passenger cart, Tiffany calls to her friend in warning,

"Addy, our destination's comin' up fast in less than seven minutes!"

"Wha-Seriously?!"

Charlie wasn't as concerned as the girls were:

"Don't worry. My good luck will make sure we stop safe and sound. I'd be more worried that I can cash in an Overlay Unit, and multiply Lucky Straight's Attack Points by whatever I role!"

The Number Monster summons a gambling chip with their numeral stamped on it, and as they toss it upward, Athena groans and barks to her opponent,

"Dammit, Charlie, you're letting that Number get to your head! Luck doesn't account for everything! We're talkin' Life or Death here, and if this train keeps the speed we're goin' at now, even Lucky Straight's power won't be able to stop it!"

But the man with teal green irises and mod-like black hair was too absorbed into his overconfidence and the duel to listen to the girl's insistent argument, watching as a giant hand appears out of the chip to toss a die.

"Come on, be good to me..."

(Clack, topple...)

"Alrigh~t! Normally, Lucky Straight's got 700 Attack Points, but when multiplied by six...we're talkin' 4200!"

Half of Athena may have been concerned by the strong rise of power, but that half was being dominated by her increasing irritation over Charlie's lack of comprehension to danger.

 _For god's sake, he's not listening at all..._

"Lucky Straight, attack Athena directly! Go, Hand Slam!"

The hand that tossed the giant die projects a pale gold-glowing copy to go charging towards the girl as Astral quickly shouts,

"Athena, your Trap Card!"

"Right! (Holds out a hand) I activate, Nitwit Outwit! This trap allows me to send a monster in my hand to the Graveyard, and the damage taken by your attack is lowered by however strong they are. Zubaba Knight, lend me a hand!"

The Level Three knight with 1600 Attack Points rises from the dark purple hex-shaped portal to bravely take the direct hit meant for Athena, leaving her to get hit by the afterwave with enough force to knock her backwards off her feet, barely staying in the middle of the roof!

"Grh!"

"Addy!"

She grits her teeth in response to Tiffany's exclaim as her Life Points decreased to 1400, alongside Lucky Straight's power drop to 700 again, their direct attack diverted...

"A well-timed Trap Card. Not bad. You bought yourself another turn."

Straightening back onto her feet while struggling not to slip against the smooth metal of the train cart's roof, the girl currently dueling turns her red irises to meet the owner of the mismatched luminous gold and silver-white for assistance.

"Astral, any chance you found a weakness in his strategy besides overconfidence?"

"If his luck is perfect, then, there is nothing you can do."

"What? Come on, that can't be true! You should be well-informed by now that no one is perfect. We all have some sort of flaw...Drh, there had to have been something, something Charlie said that gave a weakness away..."

Looking down in thought, Athena thinks to herself with a frustrated furrow in her brows,

 _Come on, girl, think...You know Charlie hinted at a dirty secret of that Number's power._

 _..._

 _...Wait...That, phrase he kept parroting...Something about a sun's shine, no fear of defeat._

"'As long as the sun that shines stays complete...I never have to fear defeat'! Those were the words!...But, what does it mean? Where did that saying come from?"

"Heh, got that catchy, huh?"

The girl darts her head up to meet Charlie eye-to-eye as he then says in a casual dismiss,

"There's no meaning behind it. It's just a figure of speech."

Athena hmphs in response, not quite as sure, and neither was Astral, who hums to himself,

"As long as the sun that shines..."

Shifting his footing, the tall male wearing the white suit and warm-coloured sarape says to his younger opponent,

"You can go ahead and give up if you want. Don't think anyone'll blame ya."

"Tch, nice...but you're wrong. I'd blame myself for giving up so easily, so I won't! I'll see this duel to the last turn! (Swipe) Draw! I summon Ganbara Knight!"

The Level Four Monster with no Attack Points and wielding twin shields jumps to the field at ready with a cry of his name...

"And because I summoned a Level Four monster to the field, Kagetokage can be summoned straight from my hand!"

The shadow lizard with 1100 Attack Points crawls forth beside the knight...

"I now Overlay both Ganbara and Kagetokage to create the Overlay Network, and XYZ Summon a warrior with a heart that always shines with hope! Come forth, Number 39: Utopia!"

And just like that, the gold/white warrior angel Number Monster rose from the vortex to Athena's side of the field...

"Alright, Utopia, take down Lucky Straight!"

The Rank Four XYZ readies their blades...just as Charlie preps for the attack with a face-down card!

"I activate my Trap, Dice Crisis! If I roll a six, one of your monsters loses all its Attack Points, and I take control of it."

He tosses the die high, and the teenage girls pray,

"Come on..." "Don't be a six, don't be a six..."

...Unfortunately, their pleas would not be answered, as the die stopped at the numeral they least wanted.

"Ah! No!"

"Sonova-!?"

"Would ya look at that? Another six!"

The giant die sparks with a red bolt of energy that bounces onto Utopia, robbing him of his strength before forcing him to move to the other side of the battlefield.

"Utopia is mine."

"Rrrrh, you damn thief!...I place one card face-down and end my turn."

Charlie smirks...but then sees the next station along the D-Line Monorail, they looking like a condensed hospital building styled overtop the tracks...

"Last stop, comin' up...Let's end this duel. You can't win, Athena. Sometimes you just have to know when to walk away."

...Letting out a short, bitter chuckle, Athena retorts,

"Yeah, ain't that the truth? Problem with your advice, Charlie, is that it's costed me before, in ways that made me...less human. Now it's almost next-to-impossible for me to walk off from a situation I know is bad. I've gotta do something, or, I'll feel useless."

"Huh?...Useless?"

"That's right, useless...which is what Luck ends up being in the end."

The girl focuses her irises into a dull but serious glare as she argues in a stronger tone,

"Luck's shallow and useless compared to a person's true strength, their will to go on no matter the odds. Like I said before, I rely on the trust in my deck, and have faith in myself to get the job done, despite how bad it may get. If not, (shakes head) then I probably wouldn't be dueling right now, would I?...You've hung around with my dad before, right?"

"Yeah...?"

"(Slight smile) Then you'll know that it was his teachings, along with mom, my brothers, grandpa, and alot of good friends, that've given fuel to my inner fire. To just walk away, in this moment, would mean turning my back on them, so no. Sorry, but the duel's not ending here."

...

A beat of silence passes, before Charlie replies with a touch of annoyance at his opponent's stubbornness,

"I get it. You got spirit, I'll give you that...but it's my turn now!"

Astral calls Athena's name in warning, and she replies,

"I got it. Hold your horses, pal! I activate my Trap, Commander of Swords! This card can be used when there's a Light Attribute Monster on the field, regardless of the side they're on. Now...Draw from your deck."

Charlie looks at the girl up and down in wariness, and she explains,

"If the next card you swipe up's a Spell or Trap, then I can destroy it, or a Spell or Trap already in play on your field."

"I see. (Knowing smile) You're hoping to get rid of Dice Crisis. You want Utopia back."

Maintaining her poker face, Athena orders back sternly,

"I said, Draw."

Gritting his teeth a little, the older duelist complies with the demand...and grins when he sees the card he pulled out.

"I drew a little beauty known as Sun Scale!"

A decorative sun symbol appears in the air above his side of the field, shining several dozen golden rays...

"With this card in play, once a turn, if I roll a six, I can obliterate any monster on your field! And I mean, let's face it, Addy: with the way things have been going, we both know that I'm gonna roll a six."

Upon the Spell's activation, the celestial being with glowing white-blue skin darts his head up in attention.

"The sun...!"

Hearing his mutter, Athena pivots her face to his direction and asks,

"The sun?...Wait..."

Her crimson irises then slowly widen in realization:

"No...are you thinking...!"

"Yes! Sever the sun!"

Focusing her gaze on the shape itself, the girl hms in thought,

"Well...it's a long shot...(Grin) but maybe..."

Confused by her sudden upturn of mood, Charlie looks at the sun in the air...before he too figures it out.

"...Uh! No way...But, it's just a figure of speech! I-It doesn't really mean-"

"Hm~, you don't sound so sure, Charlie."

He grits his teeth and glares over at Athena, who smirks and adds,

"Either way, I love long shots, and this one couldn't be any better. Okay: Commander of Swords, destroy Sun Scale!"

"There's no way...!"

The card billows a ring of energy against the girl's brainwashed Number...

"Utopia, fight the control and slice that star in two!"

(...SLASH)

One thrust of the golden blade's all it took, and the Sun Scale's symbol was split into two equal halves molting with burning-hot power...! Tiffany mutters in awe from her spot in the emergency exit,

"They did it...Addy and Utopia took down the sun...!"

...And when the pixels of the artificial ball of gas fade away...the card for Number Seven: Lucky Straight suddenly loses its transparent, rainbow glow, along with their current wielder.

"Wait, no! Don't leave me now!"

Athena asks Astral in a whisper,

"Did you see that?"

He nods in response, while Charlie mutters in dumbfoundment,

"Did that, just break my lucky streak...?...Grrh! You're finished, Athena! Since Sun Scale was destroyed, you take 500 points of damage!"

Said girl would find herself shielding her face from an onslaught of embers from the destroyed Spell Card, her Life Points falling to 900...

"And now to follow that up, I'm using Take a Chance's effect! You know what happens if I roll a six, right? My Life Points are multiplied by five!"

The die is tossed into the air...

...

...but instead of following Charlie's streak through, it would stop on a snake eye, otherwise known as,

"One?! Nooooo!"

He's then zapped by a similar light Utopia was, robbing him of his record-breaking Life Point total.

"Unbelievable...I guess my luck seems to have run out..."

Bowing his head, the man with teal green irises mutters meekly,

"I end my turn."

Astral informs the other duelist,

"Now, this is it, Athena!"

"Ha, yes! That streak's been beat! My move! (Swipe) Draw! I activate the Comeback Spell Card, so I can bring back my monster you took! Return, Utopia!"

The XYZ monster complies, losing his red aura as he settles onto Athena's side of the field again.

"And now...go, Chaos XYZ Evolution! Prepare yourself, for the arrival of Chaos Number 39: Utopia Ray!"

The Number lowers back into the summoning vortex in his emblem form, before returning back in his transformed guise, his three blades at ready to be drawn. Charlie stares up at the hyped-up monster while muttering nervously,

"Aw man...just my luck..."

"Your worries are only just beginning! I now activate Utopia Ray's ability! My monster gains 500 Attack Points for every Overlay Unit used, and I'm using them all. Go, Overlay Charge!"

Utopia Ray's strength rises to 4000...

"In return, your monster loses 1000 Attack Points for each Overlay Unit used."

Lucky Straight's power is sapped dry...

"Now's your chance: end this in one blow, Utopia Ray! Go, Rising Sun Chaos Slash!"

The triad of blades are swung, destroying Number Seven into six pieces before exploding into smoke and flame, leaving Charlie to go flying backwards with a yell from the impact, landing on the rooftop hard as his Life Points plummet to zero...!

...

And with the troublesome Number out of the picture, its effects over the monorail's control would wear off, reactivating the auto brakes, much to the surprise of Adam and Arata who were working on the control panel.

"Huh?!"

"The brakes!...Uh! But they alone won't be enough to slow the train down, not the whole way!"

The Heartland policeman darts for his feet and rushes out of the engine cart while telling Adam,

"I just got the emergency breaks to activate, but we need to get the girls and McCay inside, now!"

"Right!"

The two men run for the passenger section, and would be spotted by Tiffany from up above.

"Uh! Dad! Adam!"

"Tiffany, jump back inside and duck!"

Quickly complying with her frantic father, the younger adult male would then jump up and hoist himself onto the roof, much to Athena's surprise.

"Uh! bro?!"

"Addy, get inside, now!"

"But Charlie-"

"I'll get him, just get in with Mister Quen and Tiffany! Hurry!"

Knowing that tone wasn't one to argue against, the girl with long black hair tipped copper red bops her head up and down fast before speeding to the opening into the train cart, Astral floating down behind her. Meanwhile, her brother rushes over to Charlie to pull the other towards the rooftop exit.

"Charlie, come on!"

"Gh!...Adam..."

"Don't argue with me, just hurry, or we're both gonna go flying for the pavement below!"

The two men run for the opening, and jump down into the passenger cart to join the others, forming the duck and cover crouch while grabbing hold of something inside to stay steady...

(Screeeeeeecccchhhh-ca-clang-rumble-screeeeech...)

Both sets of the monorail's breaks work their hardest yet to slow down the wheels, causing a very loud echo of scrapping metal and the whole transport to tremble and jostle in an unstable manner, making its current occupants cry out in alarm as they struggled to avoid having their bodies slam against the walls. Tiffany clung tight to her father as he held a strong arm around her body, his other hand gripping a pole for support, while Charlie and Adam teamed up to hang onto Athena with an arm each, all three cloistered around another support pole, and Astral transported himself inside the golden key as per the red-eyed girl's telepathic plea, who thought he'd be safest there until the train stopped...

...

...

...

And by some miracle of fate...the monorail was able to slow into a decent stop, if with some slight derailment of the engine's front wheels, causing the nose of the train to hitch off the tracks and hit a bit of the station's brickwork, creating a denting hole...!

...

When he was sure they weren't moving anymore, Arata would be the first to relax out of his defensive hold, looking around the cart slowly for any signs of danger, before letting out a huge sigh of relief.

"...Daddy?"

He looks down at his daughter with a soft expression and chides,

"It's all over, Tiffany...we made it. We're safe."

She releases her own shaky breath, before turning to ask timidly,

"A-Are the rest of you okay?"

Parting, the other two men nod as Athena replies with a reassuring smile,

"We're fine. Just a bit jittery."

"Hoh good...That was scary..."

Once they were sure their legs were working right, all five people would rise up and walk over to the nearest door to exit from the monorail, forcing the hinges open with a bit of muscle from the adults.

(Cre-creeeak)

The first faces they would be greeted by, were the station master and Arata's Sargent.

"Uh! Oh my goodness!"

"Quen!...Is everyone alright?"

The next twenty or so minutes would be spent filling in the blanks to what went down, leading to a discussion between Detective Quen and his fellow officers about what charges to press against the man at fault for all this trouble, while Tiffany and Athena sat near Charlie's slumped form on a bench between the semi-crashed train and the ticket booth...

"You think luck had any role in our near-miss?"

Eyeing the girl with cornflower blue irises with an amused but irritated smile for her inside joke, Athena then shrugs and replies,

"Who knows, but right now, we should all be grateful we came out of that alive..."

"And you are, sure, that you're alright?"

She turns her gaze up a little to meet Astral's worried expression, and nods with a small smile.

"Yes, I'm sure. I was freaked, no doubt, but now that I'm outside of that makeshift deathtrap with everyone, I'm feelin' much better."

Humming with his own minuscule upturn of mouth, the celestial being replies,

"That is good to hear..."

"Ugh, man..."

"Hm?"

His attention, along with the girls, is then cast over to Charlie, who hangs his head into his palms and mutters regrettably,

"I jinxed it...I am so sorry, May. Our luck is gone...!"

The three younger bodies tilt their heads to the side in confusion:

 _May?_

"...Who's May?"

The male with black mod hair looks up to see Adam staring down at him with an inquiring frown, alongside Detective Quen.

"...Adam...Detective..."

"Does this mean you did all this not for yourself, but for someone else?"

"Explain, McCay, and perhaps we can negotiate your criminal charges."

...Our view then shifts to the hall of that children's ward in the small hospital, as the young girl with periwinkle hair and dark purple irises is rolled on a stretcher for a waiting helicopter, likely being transferred to a bigger facility...

"May!"

She darts her head up some when she hears a familiar voice call to her, and sees Charlie approaching fast with Adam.

"Uncle Charlie!"

Settling by the right head side of the stretcher, the male with teal green irises chides,

"Hey. Sorry that I'm late, kiddo."

"It's okay."

"You're gonna do great in there. You've got nothin' to worry about."

May replies with a nervous smile,

"Yeah. I know..."

"You, are brave, like this other young girl I know..."

"Thanks."

Adam then pats Charlie's shoulder with a soft, urging smile...

"Oh, right. Here."

The latter then pulls out Number Seven: Lucky Straight to present to his niece.

"Take this card, for good luck...not that you need it."

May accepts the XYZ Monster with a brighter smile.

"Thank you. You're the best, Uncle Charlie."

...The Number's symbol and rainbow sheen washes over her, startling Charlie and Adam a little.

"Uh! Did you see that?"

"Yeah...Perhaps the luck returned now that the card's in a new hand..."

After riding with May and the doctors in the helicopter to the larger city hospital, the pair of young men stand outside the closed doors of the Operating Room for a while...then exit from the building to get some fresh air, finding themselves walking along a nearby bridge as Charlie tells a revision of what he explained to Arata and a few fellow police officers.

"May's operation was a risky one...but they said it had to be done...That's why I wanted Lucky Straight: I wanted Luck to be on her side. Wanted to make sure nothing would go wrong."

"Hm, alright. For once, you were thinking of something noble...but you were still tempting fate, Charlie. I'd count your blessings that the police, museum curators and monorail station masters aren't pressing charges, other than that hefty fine for damages."

 _If anything, they seemed more than glad that the card's gone..._

Smiling wryly, Adam quirks,

"Good freaking luck paying that off, by the way."

"Heh, don't worry about me...and Adam."

"Yes?"

Pausing in their walk, the male wearing the worn-out fedora says,

"Your sister, Athena...I don't know what happened last I saw her, but, despite her spirit being rough around the edges compared to your old man's...she's got that same spunk for Dueling. Be sure to tell her that for me, would ya?"

Smiling sadly, Adam nods and states in a question format,

"You're heading out again, aren't you?"

"I am."

...The two men share a hearty hug, before Charlie McCay parts the opposite way they came from, waving a hand behind him in a casual goodbye.

"Later, Adam! Off on another globetrotting adventure!"

Holding back a few tears of friendship, the other male calls back,

"See you around, Charlie, and do a better job staying in contact this time!"

"Heha, I'll try!"

...As for Athena, Astral and Tiffany, we would find those three walking (or floating in the second's case) down a street away from the smaller hospital towards the Bay Area again, letting tonight's event roll off their backs without worry.

"Hey, Tiff, you wanna head for that diner up a couple blocks to grab a late meal?"

"Sure. All that terror really worked up my appetite."

Mind you, while the girls were feeling much calmer, there was one matter the boy from another world felt needed attention.

"Charlie is going to give us that Number Card, right, Athena?"

"If you mean Big Eye, it's already back in my deck safe and sound. But if you mean Lucky Straight, don't worry. He gave us his word that as soon as May's surgery was done, we could drop by and politely ask for the Number Card."

"I do mean Number Seven...and I think we really should've stayed with them."

"Then we'll stop by May's room first thing in the morning, okay? Now calm down."

Reluctantly, Astral nods in acknowledgement to Athena's assurance, and she focuses back ahead of herself while stating aloud in a muttered breath,

"Well...that was an eventful way to start the Carnival."

 _And who knows what else this tourney's gonna unveil as time progresses on..._

 _Day One, Complete._


	33. The Wolf Wearing Celebrity Garments

A flurry of papers containing dozens of duelist profiles go flying into the air, only to get pin-cushioned to the wall by Duel Monster Cards like an obsessive investigator's collage, courtesy of Quattro, who gazed over the images cornering each individual's basic information and stats with a wild grin.

"Which of my fabulous fans should I take on today? So many potential _targets_ to choose from..."

He breaks into a sadistic chuckle, which would not go without comment by the other soul in the room.

"Your attitude seriously concerns me, Quattro."

Frowning, the late teen turns to look over at the young adult with long silver hair who was sitting on a sofa, reading a book and currently ignoring the tea set on a coffee table in front of him.

"Watching your fans squirm really does give you a charge, doesn't it?"

Catching the condescension within their tone, Quattro counters back,

"I do believe you're jealous, Quinton. Hey, it isn't my fault I'm popular. (Smirk) Besides, those chumps get what they deserve, and I have to make my work interesting somehow since there's never a chance I'll lose."

...Quinton's blue irises divert from the page he was reading, and he closes the book while counter-countering the other male in the room,

"Don't be so sure of that, Quattro: your arrogance will be your downfall."

Bristled by the lecture, the blond/redhead spat back,

"If you don't like how I operate, then maybe you should start collecting Numbers!"

Forming his own ironically-arrogant smile, the man dressed in blue-dominant clothing replies,

"I will, once the opponents get tougher."

Quattro sneers at the other's overconfidence:

"Really? So you think you're a better duelist than me, do you? Grab your deck and let's find out."

"Alright, that's enough, Quattro!"

Eyes fall on the new voice in the room, belonging to the youth with short, dark pink hair, he carrying in a new tray of tea while frowning in a mediator's manner.

"We're brothers. We shouldn't be fighting amongst ourselves."

"Mind your own business, pipsqueak!"

"No! Trey happens to be right."

Attention is diverted again, this time onto the biologically young body cloaked in a more adult air, with the braided blond hair and strange mask, who walks down a set of stairs to address the three, specifically, the male with dark rouge irises.

"I approve of your self-confidence, Quattro, but you must better learn to exercise self-control like the others."

"'Scuse me? Why does it matter what you actually think?"

Quinton rose to his feet, disliking the attitude his younger brother was displaying to their leader.

"Watch it, Quattro."

"Kuh, what's that? Mph!"

The teen with the blond/dark mahogany hair would then find himself stepping back with a wary expression from the male with very long silver hair, who was glaring at the former sternly.

"You will show Vetrix some respect. You will not talk to him that way!"

Quattro glares back waveringly at the other...before reluctantly complying with a pivot of his head.

"Fine, Quinton."

Calming himself, the eldest brother then shifts his focus on his youngest sibling, walking over to the wall of duelist profiles.

"I take it that you know what your mission is today, don't you, Trey?"

"Yes, brother."

He removes the card that held up...Jamal's profile.

"The duelist that they call Shark, is still trying to track down Quattro."

...Quinton tosses the card over to the youth with green irises and dark pink hair for him to catch.

"Better hang onto this Number Card. I have a feeling you'll be running into eachother very soon...Also, I've heard that a young but dangerous gang leader is in the tournament, and has been mercilessly taking out duelists in his way left and right, seemingly on a mission of his own. Best to have as much protection as possible."

Nodding, Trey replies,

"Right. I understand."

Quattro bites back a snort at his younger brother's obedient tone, before exiting the room with him...Quinton would then divert his eyes to the distant Heartland Tower through the large windows of this sitting room, a vengeful glare blazing in his blue irises as he thought about a particular occupant.

" _Doctor Faker_...someday, I'll take everything from you, just like you took everything from us."

"...Quinton."

He pivots his head towards the young body standing on the staircase, who reminds him,

"Just make sure Faker doesn't find out about me. (Smirk) He thinks I'm gone, and I want to leave it that way... _'til the day I reveal myself._ "

...

...

We now move away from the fancy skyscraper suite all they way to Athena Fujina's neighbourhood during this, the morning of the second day for the World Duel Carnival's Preliminaries, our ears catching the message broadcasted through the AR by the city mayor for all participants of the tournament and their audience to hear.

 _"Greetings from Heartland City! Welcome all! It's Day Two of the World Duel Carnival. Today, you can make your dreams come true! Just make sure that all of you duel with, lots and lots of heart! Now, good luck!"_

(...Slide)

Exiting from the wooden screen door of her home's porch first was Athena, dressed in a new outfit consisting of a white bandeau top under her leather jacket, a black, pleated skirt reaching her knees with red/green checkered suspenders hanging off her hips, and her black running shoes with blue laces woven in. She also tied back her long hair into a plait.

"Alright, time to sweep the competition again."

Tiffany, who slept over at her friend's house for the night, smiled at the girl with red irises at her display of confidence as she followed after from the home, she also wearing something different from yesterday, consisting of a pair of black shorts that went to her mid-thigh with pink lotus flowers on the back pockets, a lime green halter top with a baby blue vest, and a pair of brown flats. Both girls would then raise their brows as LillyBot comes sweeping by with the house broom to retort,

"Dream on, Athena. Sweeping is my job."

"Teh, didn't mean housework, Lil. I meant the WDC."

Athena pulls out her Heart Piece to show, it being sixty percent complete thanks to her duels from yesterday.

"See? This is how far I've come."

"What's that? It looks like garbage."

"It's not. It's the framework that holds my ante for the tourney, called Heart Pieces. So far, I have three out of five pieces I need, excluding the piece that I couldn't fit...If I keep up this pace, I'll be in the finals in no time."

Giggling, Tiffany chides,

"I'd concentrate on your next preliminary duel first before getting that far ahead."

"I know, I know..."

"Come on, Cas, step it up!"

"Huh?"

Hearing an exclaim from one of their male friends, the girls turn around to look down over the hedge to the street, spotting Jamal, he now wearing an outfit of a dark green unbuttoned shirt with the sleeves rolled up, over a white t-shirt with Red-Eyes Black Dragon's image printed dead center, black khaki pants, and runners matching his dark blue helmet, riding down the sidewalk fast on his scooter. Caswell, comprised in his academy uniform once again, struggles to run after the other.

"Wait up, Jamal! Hah, uh, hah...!"

Smiling in amusement, the girl with the black bob wonders aloud,

"What's got them so hyper?"

The other girl with copper-red tipped black hair shrugs and replies,

"Dunno. Let's hurry after 'em and find out."

We catch up with the olive coco-skinned teen, his black dreadlocks dancing on the breeze as he hops his scooter onto a wide stair rail to roll down the steps. He calls back with a smirking smile to the boy with bowl-cut blue hair,

"You gotta put in more effort, flat foot! Just imagine our gym teacher chasing after you!"

"Guh! Don't remind me! Now, slow do-who-whaaaah!"

Caswell stumbles down the stairs fast, tripping and landing on his behind...

"Totally meant to do that..."

Stopping his scooter, Jamal tsks with a shake of his head,

"Once again, I call it a miracle you're passing P.E. Now up ya get, Cas, before we're late."

"Hey, guys! Where's the fire?"

The two teen boys dart their heads back upon hearing Athena's call, she and Tiffany finally catching up with them.

"Hey, girls!"

Caswell recovers back onto his feet rather quickly, grabbing out his plain grey duel disk to display something to the joining pair with a big grin of anticipation.

"Haven't you heard? Quattro's gonna be here!"

Wiping off her awkward grimace to replace with confusion, Athena asks while peering at an image of the celebrity-level duelist,

"Quattro? Who is he exactly?" Jamal explains with a smile,

"He's one of the top international duelists, our continent's champ to be more precise."

"Aaah..."

The upturn of lip for the boy with black dreadlocks falters some as he adds,

"Though great he is...I also heard that it was him who faced Shark in that controversial final round of last year's Nationals..."

That fact caused the girl to stiffen on alert, recalling her conversations with her violet blue-haired friend about that day in question.

 _It was him, huh?...Hmm...(Narrows eyes) So now I can put a face and a name to the set-up actor._

Astral, who manifested out from the golden key around the time Quattro's name had been voiced, says to his human partner,

"We must be cautious when dealing with this individual, Athena."

The boy with blue bowl-cut hair then reveals the more exciting piece of news he and the other young human male had to offer.

"Quattro just challenged Jamal and I to a duel! Isn't it awesome?"

"Uh, yeah, totally...but are you sure you guys are really up for it?"

They form expressions of disbelieving confusion from Athena's inquiry.

"...Are, you kidding?"

"No, just, a touch concerned since this Quattro's at the high level you're describing. Plus if he's in the Duel Carnival, (wry smile) you'll be risking your shot for the finals, all for a chance to fight someone from the big leagues so soon?"

Jamal smirks a bit and retorts lightly,

"Eh, I say bring it on. The tourney was only gonna get tougher anyway the more it dragged on."

Caswell adds with the heart-filled eyes of a die-hard fanboy,

"This duel is a dream come true...Quattro is our hero! Losing to him would be a tremendous honour!"

"Ay! Don't jinx it, Cas! Now come on, we better motor!"

"Oh, yes, I almost forgot!"

The olive coco-skinned boy with teal irises leads the new charge on his scooter.

"Gone and gone, the faster the better!"

"Hey, not so fast, Jamal!"

Watching them go for a moment, the girls look to one another, and nod firmly in an unspoken decision to trail after their friends.

"We're taggin' along!" "Slow your pace before you hit someone!"

Small Time Skip, Athena's POV

Come about ten, fifteen minutes later after leaving the neighbourhood, my friends and I would find ourselves standing within a familiar old alley built wider than most, with abandoned oil barrels and some pyramids of metal supports used for construction...Well, familiar to me.

It's also one of the top secret meeting spots Akira and I set up for an underground channel of other teens like us who deserted the Fallen Stars and some other gangs, back when we first left the life of roughneck punks. My best friends Tiffany and Jamal are so far the only people outside the network who have access to our activities, 'ghost members' essentially, for since they got caught in the revenge attack at the docks a few weeks after I left the club, it'd be foolish to keep information like that away.

I've been debating whether or not to let in the rest of my circle of friends...and right now, I've only recently included Astral after my encounter with Trilos before the first day of the WDC. The problem I'm having is a matter of trust and protectiveness: it's not that I believe my friends can't keep a secret...rather, I don't believe the situation to cram a lid on it for very long.

 _But I'll have to tell my other friends about the Supernova Network eventually. I've let them in on Trilos...and they deserve to know a little more about the other faces like me who are fighting to avoid falling under his rule again._

Shaking away the past, I ask the guys,

"Sooo, why the odd locale? Seems a bit dingy for a duel, though I can hardly criticize since I've done similar once upon a time..."

"Quattro pick the spot. Probably wanted someplace quiet to avoid his fans."

I nod in comprehension to Caswell's reasoning:

 _Guess that makes sense. (Wry smile) Why I'll bet even Nelson's had to dodge down some strange scenic routes now and again to escape his fanclubs..._

"...Uh, there he is!"

"Hm?"

Turning my irises a little to look where Jamal's quieter exclaim was directed, I could see two figures coming over towards us.

The first was obviously Quattro, right down to his spiky, layered dark rouge/yellow hair, dark red irises that seemed a bit pinkish (least compared to my bright red eyes), that odd cross-shaped scar running over his right face highlighted by his mild beige skin, and wearing a white/gold schemed outfit that had me think about royalty of all things.

Then there was another guy who walked with him, younger but still older than me and the others by about...two years, I'm guessing, and seemed more, innocent. Probably due to the fact he had valentine colours domineering his whole appearance, even his short, slightly curly pink hair. He also had bright green eyes, a skin tone lighter than Quattro, and wore clothes that had a similar theme to the other.

 _Hm...Wonder how those two are related? Brothers, perhaps?  
_

While I went into levels of observation that could almost rival a certain boy from another world I call my friend, Jamal and Caswell's excitement was completely blocking their judgement.

"Quattro!"

They rush over to meet the dark-rouge/blond in the center of this alley, leaving Tiffany, Astral and I to stand back a couple feet while the pinkette stayed with Quattro. Caswell would be the first to really address the professional duelist:

"I can't believe it's really you!"

"You must be Caswell and Jamal. My apologies for being late. Shall we get started, my friends?"

"Yeah, but, before we do, can I have your autograph?!"

I fought the urge to facepalm at the sight of my braniac friend making himself look a little stupid with that big, hopeful smile and holding out his disk with a pen like they were a gift.

 _Hoh geez, god help him..._

At least Jamal was more dignified about his request for a John Hancock, clearing his throat politely before asking,

"May I, have your signature as well?"

"With pleasure. I get a thrill out of spoiling my fans."

Quattro would sign the back of Caswell's duel disk first, handing it back with a smile.

"Is this okay?"

Letting out a breath of awe, my friend replies enthusiastically,

"Quattro, I can't thank you enough!"

My best dude in contrast, would reach into his back pocket to pull out a small notebook designed with the likeness of a Duel Monster deck, the same one he's been using since age seven to collect signatures of any famous people he's come across. He's even been lucky enough to get an autograph from a city-visiting American Duel Champion whose name escapes me, rumored to have distant relations to the creator of the game himself!

"Uh, here, lemme find you a clean page...There we go."

"Much obliged...Aaah, I see you're quite the collector of autographs. You even have Casey Crawmon in this little book."

 _Riiiight, that was his name..._

Jamal asks with a smaller smile of excitement compared to Caswell,

"Have you and he dueled before?"

"We crossed decks once in China during a Duel Circuit. He certainly lived up to his rumour, the only person I ever ended a duel in a tie with."

 _Hm, that's a bit interesting..._

"There. Happy?"

My best dude takes back his special notebook with a modest nod.

"Y-Yes, thank you very much."

Then by little surprise to me as an avid duelist, Quattro would immediately get back onto the business that brought us all together today.

"Now then, let's get dueling."

That was when my guy friends ran into the trouble of figuring out who had first chance.

"Uh, hey, Jamal, who do you think should go first?"

"Not sure, but I'm cool either way..."

Their challenger would offer up a solution:

"I suppose, all three of us could duel at once."

"Uh!" "Huh?!"

"We could have a Battle Royale, and put all our Heart Pieces on the line."

 _Whoa whoa, back up: all of their pieces?...I dunno if I like the sound of that..._

My face contorts into a frown from such a risky suggestion, while Astral was more focused on the rule set.

"Interesting...Under Battle Royale Rules, all three duelists will compete against eachother. But Quattro must think that Jamal and Caswell will both try to defeat him..."

I finish with my own conclusion:

"In other words, this'll act more like a Two-on-One match."

"Correct, and though Quattro is more experienced, the odds will be against him."

 _Very true, for when you're paired up with somebody in a duel, or basically any sort of challenge or task, your strengths will make up for your partner's weaknesses, and vice-versa._

 _So if Cas and Jamal do decide to team up on Quattro, (slight smile) they'll be able to meet his level._

Seems I wasn't the only having that in mind:

"I just love spoiling my fans. I want this duel to be special for you. There's even a chance that together, you could beat me. It should be a memorable match-up."

Now under different circumstances, words like that would feel nice and even a bit inspiring...However...this, particular tone and smile Quattro was using...It was making my heart hammer slightly with danger, the paranoid me peeking from out of the panic room to shout 'Run run run, get away; he's not safe!'

"Mph..."

 _That, smile...I've seen that kind of smile before, and I know...it's not real._

"Addy?"

I nearly jolt out of my skin to the sound of Tiffany's voice softly calling for my attention, and I turn to see her eyeing my form with seriousness masking concern, likely sensing my tension rise.

"...You felt it too, right, the farce."

Surprised at first, I quickly reminded myself that my BFF is the daughter of a cop.

"Mmh...Yes. And, given what he had done to Shark in last year's National Tournament, something in me's finding it hard to accept this, good celebrity banter."

Tiffany nods in agreement, she knowing about what went down before the National's finals after yesterday's encounter with Shark, and we pivot our heads towards the others, narrowed eyes of suspicion directed at Quattro's form.

 _He's acting nice now, but was a sneak in the past...Which is his true face?_

I'd snap back on Cas and Jamal as they eagerly get their dueling equipment ready to go.

"Ready, dude?"

"Yeah!"

"(Both boys) Duel Disk: Go! Get ready!"

With a pumped chuckle, I would witness a bit of chipping in Quattro's nice guy routine as he hurries to meet my friends in preparing for the match.

"I'm not holding back, so get ready for the most intense duel of your lives!"

The duel disk he would dish out was definitely unique in shape, look like a red blade attached to a gauntlet.  
Next, came the tech that granted vision into the AR World:

"Duel Gazer: Show us the impossible!"

I almost smile in amusement at the guys copying my line, but would divert that attention back on their opponent, when I saw a strange, light purple-glowing crest that resembled lighting-struck fire imprint on the back of his right hand, followed by, a gazer tattoo over his left eye.

 _Uh! That looks really similar, to the tattoo Kite uses as a duel gazer..._

...My eyes narrow again.

 _Who are you, Quattro, and, do you secretly mean any harm to me and my friends?_

"(All duelists) Now let's duel!"

With everybody all prepped and their inner fires lit, all that was left was to decide who'd have the opening move...Surprisingly, Quattro directs the baton to my friends:

"I'll let you two go first." They were just as shocked, and Jamal replies,

"Uh, ya sure? You do know that whoever goes last in a Battle Royale's at the short end of the stick, right?"

Caswell mutters,

"I, guess he's giving us another break," but I felt my wariness spike a little:

 _No...He knows exactly what he's doing. Be careful, you two._

Jamal would step up to start the duel:

"Okay, then I'll be player one! Watch out, 'cause it's my Draw! First, I summon Level Four Aye Iron!"

The wind-up kangaroo toy with 1600 Attack Points comes flipping onto the field in front of him, clapping his symbols and chiming the first part of their name.

"And that's all I can really do, since according to Battle Royale rules, no one attacks until everybody takes their first turn. I end here; you're on deck, Cas!"

"Okey-dokey! I Draw! And first, I'm summoning Debugger X!"

This monster was basically the opposite of Crashbug, looking like a blocky pixel character with warm colours, Level Three with 900 Attack Points.

"And now it's your turn, Quattro."

The rouge-blond would first compliment my friends on their first choices for offense.

"Well well. You've chosen some very unusual monsters. Nice work, you guys. I can see that you're both shrewd and creative."

"Did you hear that, Jamal? He just praised us!"

Nodding, my other guy friend replies with a small smirk,

"Yeah, he did, but we should keep the dam built tight..."

 _Thank goodness one of 'em is more focused on the serious sitch..._

"Now, gentlemen, I Draw! I place a monster face-down in Defense Mode, but I'm not done yet. Next I'll place two more cards face-down, and finally, I'll activate the Field Spell, XYZ Colosseum! This spell boosts the Attacks Points of all XYZ Monsters in the Colosseum by 200 points. But if your monster isn't an XYZ Monster, then you're out of luck 'cause it can't attack. And now I end my turn."

Getting a good look around the new battle area, which pretty much spelled the definition of an abandoned graveyard mixed with a long forgotten cultural monument...I was feeling the hairs of my skin stand on end. I wasn't the only one creeped out either:

"(Shiver) This place looks a little scary..." I nod to Tiffany, commenting aloud,

"Yeah...and the vibe I'm getting, is stirring up some unwanted memories of mine..."

"...Fallen Stars?"

"Mhm. The wear and tear isn't too far off from that old building in the forest, and, the atmosphere...It's just as dead and intense as the ring..."

 _All we're missing is the echo of dozens of faceless troublemakers...and bloodstains..._

Astral's POV

I could sense Athena becoming increasingly uncomfortable the longer this confrontation went on, stiffening considerably when XYZ Colosseum activated. I suspect that multiple elements have been acting as reminders of her more perilous period of living, which would be confirmed by what she said aloud...and what I heard echo within her mind. It certainly did not help that this Quattro was radiating a vibe similar to Flip's, back when he acted more the enemy than a friend, only the former's case is more disguised...and quite possibly more dangerous.

 _Something does not seem right...Why would Quattro choose this field for a confrontation?_

 _It is true that his XYZ Monsters will have more power, but so will the XYZ Monsters of his opponents..._

Jamal and Caswell were not quite as suspicious, but nonetheless came up with a plausible reason for their opponent's latest play.

"Hm, I think I see what he's doin': XYZ Summons require two or more monsters, which means..."

"He played the Field Spell to stop us from attacking until he draws the cards that he needs!"

Preparing himself to start his next turn, Jamal smirks confidently and exclaims,

"Teh, well he's gonna have a hard time followin' that strategy to the letter! Oi, Quattro, (swipe) check this! I'm bringin' Tin Goldfish to the field!"

The Level Four monster with 800 Attack Points rose to the field beside Aye Iron...

"And since I succeeded in summoning one, I'm allowed to dish out another Tin from my hand, so here comes Goldfish number two!"

Now that he had three monsters ready with the same Level or Four, I was able to easily discern what the boy was going to do next.

"Jamal is trying to use Quattro's strategy against him."

Though only a little of her tensity had dropped, Athena was able to smile encouragingly for her friend.

"Do it, Jamal!"

"On it, Addy! I now overlay Level Four Aye Iron, and my two Tin Goldfish, to build the Overlay Network! Feast your eyes, on my XYZ Monster, Tin Archduke!"

The monster in question was a Rank Four with 2200 Attack Points, made from metal with a comical likeness of the nobility title. Oddly enough, Quattro did not seem intimidated, focusing his efforts on praising his opponent.

"Excellent. You're alot quicker on the draw then I expected, Jamal."

"Thanks, but I'd be more worried about Archduke if I were you! Not only does he get a boost of 200 to his Attack Points from your Field Spell, but I'm activating his special ability, which allows me to use one Overlay Unit to switch the Battle Mode of one of your monsters!"

"Oh my. It looks like you outmaneuvered me again, Jamal. You certainly are a talented duelist."

 _There it is again: more overuse of flattery...just like Flip's old act..._

My friend didn't pick up on the vibe, instead smiling modestly and replying back,

"Ueh, thanks, man," while Caswell commented excitedly,

"Wow! The duel just got started, and Quattro's praised you twice already!"

"Ahem, anyway, I change Quattro's monster from playing Defense to Offense! Go, Tin Arch Sword!"

Tin Archduke swings his blade and emits a ring of power to bounce against Quattro's face-down monster, it flipping up to reveal...quite a weak choice.

"Gentlemen, say hello to my Gimmick Puppet Princess." I note,

"That monster has zero Attack Points."

Athena hummed in an air similar to mine,

"Yeah, and we know from experience that zero doesn't guarantee an easy target..."

Our friends currently dueling in this moment of time were not worried, most likely ignorant to a possible farce.

"This is gonna be a breeze!"

"Heh, no lie, man! Archduke, attack Gimmick Puppet Princess with Blade Bop!"

The XYZ Monster made of tin metal thrusts his sword in a downward swing against the smaller puppet, destroying her and eliminating 2400 of Quattro's Life Points, taking the total down to 1600. He counters the move with one of his face-downs:

"I activate the Puppet Repair Trap Card! This Trap comes in handy when a puppet monster Level Four or lower gets destroyed. It lets me summon the same monster from my deck, so here's another Gimmick Puppet Princess!"

A blue rather than pink-schemed marionette girl rises to the field in Defense Mode...

"Teh, that's fine, 'cause I can just use Archduke's special ability again, and flip your little princess from Defense to Attack Mode."

"Amazing! Your monster can actually use its special ability more than once per turn? This isn't looking good for me~..."

Though Tiffany was smiling in admiration for our friends and their strong lead over their opponent...Athena and I felt our frowns deepen the slightest, telepathically discussing the familiar use of overacting and sweet flattery.

 _He is trying to lure them into a false of security..._

"Yeah, only question is why?...What's his angle?"

 _We shall just have to continue watching this battle progress...and pray that Jamal and Caswell end the duel quickly, before the situation can turn on them._

Caswell would begin his second turn of the duel:

"My turn! I Draw! Quattro really messed up. This is too easy! With no Attack Points, his monster's a sitting duck. In the end, any attack will pulverize his puppet, and if I use an attack that's at least 1600 Points, we'll win the duel!"

 _That is a rather big if..._

"I summon Debugger Z in Attack Mode!"

This monster was also Level Three like his Debugger X, but had a more stout build and carried 700 Attack Points.

"Here's where the real fun begins, 'cause if there's a Debugger X on the field when I summon Debugger Z, I can also summon my Debugger Y!"

And much like looking into an alternate mirror of the Crashbug Monsters, his Debugger Y was of a tall, lanky body type, Level Three and with 400 Attack Points. With three Level Threes now on his field, Caswell was properly prepared to do his own XYZ Summon, which Quattro would take note.

"Yikes. That makes three Level Three Monsters."

"Guess you know what's coming up next, Quattro! I'm overlaying all three Debuggers! Now I build the Overlay Network, and XYZ Summon! Here comes Antidote Nurse!"

This XYZ Monster was a Rank Three with 1800 Attack Points, in the guise of a computer icon medical attendee carrying a very large prism-shaped needle under their right arm.

"And now, thanks to the Colosseum Field Spell, Antidote Nurse gets a booster of 200 Attack Points."

The Nurse's strength rises to 2000...and that is when I heard a very slight whimper emit from, my human partner. I pivot my vision away from the battlefield for a moment to glance down at her, noticing a flash of nerves creeping onto her expression as she looked up at the newly summoned XYZ Monster.

 _...Athena? What is wrong?_

"A-Ah! Astral...I'm, okay, sort-of..."

 _Okay, sort-of?_

"...Haaah, it's just...the object Caswell's monster's holding, is giving me the heebee-jeebees."

I glance up at what she was directing towards...before looking back at her.

 _You mean, the needle?_

"Yeah...As you can easily understand based on what I've told you thus far about my past, I've, developed a fear of needles."

My eyes widen in surprise...before softening my expression when I realize why.

 _Oh...yes, I see._

She smiles a little bit and tries to assure me,

"It's not as bad right now 'cause Antidote Nurse's needle design is a bit more comedic, so, don't worry. I won't rush into a panic attack or nothin'."

 _...Alright. If you are certain._

Athena nods, and I turn my focus back onto the duel as Caswell continues his turn.

"Get that princess, Antidote Nurse!"

"Oh no! What am I going to do?!"

The Gimmick Puppet Princess is blasted to pixels from an electrical strike dealt by Antidote Nurse, thus ending the match in favour of Jamal and Caswell.

"Wayda go, Cas!"

"Alright! We beat Quattro!"

...

...

Rather, I wish that the outcome had ended so positively...but no.

" _My congratulations_..."

"Huh?" "Wha...?"

Instead, it would seem that mine and Athena's earlier warning vibes, were correct.

"Your attacks truly have been amusing, but they were hardly enough to defeat me."

Tiffany asks aloud in her own shock over Quattro still standing after Antidote Nurse's attack,

"What? But, how can that be? Caswell took down the puppet. Quattro should've lost all of his Life Points...shouldn't he?"

Athena replies in a low tone that matched her forming glare,

"It should've gone that way...but I had a bad feeling from the get-go he was trying to fool them in some fashion..."

"But, why would Quattro do something like this?"

 _Interesting...Why indeed..._

Caswell asks his and Jamal's opponent,

"H-How did you survive?"

"I simply activated my Gimmick Box Trap as soon as you attacked. Not only do I not take any damage from your attack, but this Trap Card then transforms into a Monster Card."

In which case, we would be witnessing the enormous mechanical inside of a geared box open onto the battlefield above Quattro, now acting as a Level Eight Monster...which had the same amount of strength as Antidote Nurse!

"And that's not the only surprise I have in store: remember the amount of damage I would have taken? It becomes my monster's Attack Points instead!"

The situation would only become more serious...when the unnamed male standing away from Quattro finally spoke.

"You should forget about this duel, brother. It's clear they don't have any Number Cards, or else they would've used them already."

 _Uh! What did he just say?!_

Athena was quick on the reaction as well:

"Numbers?! D...Does this mean-"

"It would seem so, my friend: Quattro and his brother must be Number Hunters!"

The young male himself would 'shift the script' completely, removing the last of his fake demeanor to replace with a rather...disturbing smirk.

"Now, my friends. Since I can't take any Numbers from you, I'll enjoy watching you _squirm_ instead."

 _That, does not sound good._

Caswell and Jamal would not think so either:

"Say what?!"

"What're you saying?! That all that stuff from before's a lie?!"

"Not so. As I told you before, I enjoy spoiling my fans~! When I say spoiled, I mean _really spoiled!_ "

Quattro's iris containing the duel gazer tattoo glows in a threatening manner, making my insides churn with worry.

 _Oh dear...!_

"You're finished, (swipes up a new card)! I have to admit, you two were pretty good, better than most of the chumps I've faced! Unfortunately, your dueling skills are still far below mine! Even working together, you're not good enough to beat me!"

It was my turn to form a glare, finding myself just as appalled as my friends by what we were hearing.

 _Auh! The arrogance-!_

"Gimmick Puppet Scarecrow, come out!"

The next monster he brought out was a Level Four with 800 Attack Points, portraying a mechanized scarecrow...

"Next I activate the Spell Card, Level Doubler! Now I can send one of the cards in my hand to the Graveyard to double the Level of my Puppet Scarecrow from four to eight!"

Said monster lets out an ominous and, creepy laugh, just as Quattro taunts my friends even further.

"Are you feeling the thrill yet? Hehnhnhn, now it's time to end this duel. I overlay Level Eight Gimmick Box and Gimmick Puppet Scarecrow to build the Overlay Network! I XYZ Summon Number 15: Gimmick Puppet Giant Grinder!"

 _Number 15..._

This new Number Monster's appearance was rather, disturbing to say the least, they being an enormous marionette made from wood and metal being controlled by yet another puppet through a series of pulleys and switches from a tall control box. They were also a strong Rank Eight, and carried a fair 1500 Attack Points...My poor friends Jamal and Caswell helplessly gaped at the sight, while Athena fought down a growl as she muttered,

"Damn...Guess I'll be adding Quattro to my list of enemies..."

"There's more. Don't forget that my XYZ Colosseum gives my giant 200 more Attack Points."

So now the Number's strength was at 1700...

"And then my giant can activate it's special ability! By using an Overlay Unit, it can target the XYZ Monsters on your field, and destroy them!"

On that note, several threads are shot from the palms of Giant Grinder to take hold of Tin Archduke, dragging him towards the opened chest of the marionette to be torn to pieces by the gear work inside!

"No, Archduke! Grrrh, how could you?!"

Quattro only smirked at the seething Jamal before replying,

"Your nightmare is just beginning, because the Attack Points of the destroyed monster are then dealt to you as damage!"

"What?! No way!"

 _Oh no! Jamal!_

"That's 2400 Attack Points coming your way..."

Next thing we all know, the Number Monster extends the barrel of a laser cannon from their chest cavity...

"This duel's been fun, you fools! Fire away!"

A large ball of red energy is shot down against my friend, who lets out a cry as he's thrown back hard from the impact, his Life Points falling to 1600. Caswell calls the other's name, who barely pushes himself onto his elbows while gritting out,

"G-Gh, C-C-Cas, heads up," as Quattro continues his onslaught:

"You're next, small-fry!"

"Hn?!"

"Sorry I have to destroy your Antidote Nurse!"

The same terrible fate is sealed for Caswell's XYZ Monster...

"But don't worry: all her power will be coming right back at you! Blast away!"

Athena cries out as Giant Grinder releases their attack,

"Cas, duck down like you're gonna somersault! Brace yourself!"

He quickly follows her advice, curling into a small ball just as the blast connects, giving him a minimal protection as he's tossed backwards next to Jamal, rolling a little against the ground as his Life Points dropped to 2000...Both boys find themselves writhing in pain on the ground, which made Quattro's sadistic smile grow.

"I won't be happy until all my fans get exactly what they deserve!"

Jamal was just helping Caswell back onto his feet before growling back,

"And dare I ask what that garbage means?"

"Heh, it means that you two twerps, are goin' down with a big bang! I'm activating my Gimmick Puppet Princesses special abilities from the Graveyard! I banish them to summon two monsters from your Graveyards back to your fields. First up, Tin Archduke!"

On of the puppet monsters use their strings to force Jamal's monster back onto the field...

 _It is as we feared, Athena._

"Yeah, those little marionettes are all but innocent targets."

"And because my XYZ Colosseum will increase your monster's Attack Points, there's even more power I can turn against you."

As the archduke's power settles at 2400, I conclude my findings on Quattro's dueling strategy.

"Uh, of course: Quattro has set up a perfect attack loop!"

"Tch, never heard of that term before...I only know it by its slang equivalent, 'Dueler's Hell'."

I look down at Athena with a touch of surprise for her knowledge, she adding with an even bitter tone,

"It's been used in a multitude of ways by street gang duelists...and it's the easiest way to make their opponents feel like an ant caught under a magnifying glass burn."

 _Athena..._

Quattro's voice would cut into my worries for my closest friend, he going into a rather sinister description of the people who admire him.

"My fans are no different from the puppet monsters contained in my deck. They're helpless to resist my will, and I'm pulling all the strings!"

By that time, Antidote Nurse was also forced back onto the field, her Attack Points rising to 2000 due to the field spell's effect.

"Once again, my giant will destroy your feeble monsters, and end this duel!"

And for the second time, Tin Archduke would meet their grizzly end before his power would be blown against his wielder, eliminating the last of Jamal's Life Points...

"Quattro set up this trap from the beginning of the match. He tricked Jamal and Caswell into using monsters he knew he could use against them. His strategy is devious, but quite effective."

...In response, I hear the sound of knuckles cracking, and pivot my eyes downward to see Athena stuck in a seething glare, teeth grinding and her breath heavy, like she was trying to, hold herself back.

"...Athena?"

Athena's POV

As I watched Caswell get trashed next by that new Number, he losing the duel alongside Jamal...my mind found itself filling my vision with flashbacks of a much darker time in my life, the bodies of my two guy friends replaced with faceless young guns getting their arses whooped by bigger, stronger teenagers, the battlefield clouded over by the cold, dank inside of that building, with the wrestling ring center stage. My ears fill with echoes of the yells and jeers of the audience, most of them gritty boys of various ages almost as young as nine or as old as their early twenties, all cheering for the same thing: senseless violence.

 _...Wrong...This is, s-so wrong._

I come out of my nightmare for a short moment when Quattro suddenly cries out,

"It's not over yet! I still have alot more spoiling to do. Go, Giant Grinder!"

"Stop! You've won, they lost; this duel's done!"

"...Sorry, but this duel isn't over until I say it is! Now, Giant Grinder: Final Dance!"

Next thing I knew, my friends were being mercilessly whipped by the strings of that Number Card!

 _Auh! No!_

Once the attack ran its course, I don't waste another second, and started sprinting down to help them.

"Cas, Jamal!"

I reach between them, and dropped to my knees helplessly, taking in the sight of their battered and bruised bodies.

 _...G-Guys..._

 _(Flash)_

 _I remember, back during a tag fight against these two bulking late teens, with Akira..._

 _(PUNCH)_

 _"Aaauuuuuh!"_

 _(SLAM)_

 _"Aaa-couh!"_

 _We nearly lost our lives that day, the fight being alot more than what we were used to, what I was used to in the first month of joining the Fallen Stars. Sure, we had speed and stamina, but getting a hit over those bozos was a whole other story..._

 _The feeling of all my air being shoved harshly out from my lungs from that body toss was deafening, making my ears ring...I was just barely able to turn my head weakly towards Akira, who was in a sideways position to my own face-down, spotting a trickle of blood flowing from the corner of his mouth._

 _"A-(Cough)...A-Akir-ra..."_

 _"Hah, hah, hnh...A-Addy..."_

 _(Flash)_

The positions my friends were in right now were hardly any different, though Akira and I somehow found our strength again and rolled with the next couple hits before pulling off a miracle, surviving another day...But here...

 _They've been slaughtered, both of them...Jamal...Caswell..._

Thankfully, Jamal was still conscious, and I quickly moved to steady him as he gingerly rose up a little.

"Jamal...I'm so sorry..."

"Hnh, hah...Don't, be sorry, Addy...Is Caswell, still conscious?"

I glance over at the boy with blue bowl-cut hair, noting the closed eyes and gritted expression. Removing my duel gazer, I reply dryly,

"Not exactly, but he hasn't blacked out yet...Cas, if you can still hear me, stay strong, okay?"

He whimpers but nods a bit, and I turn my attention to the one responsible for this horrible turn, my eyes burning over with rage.

"You, bastard! Do you have any idea how dangerous a strategy like yours is?! Why would you invoke this level of hurt on people who chose to look up to you?!"

Quattro's answer came out in a spout of crazed laughter:

"Let's just say, I find it highly entertaining."

That grin, that tone, that reasoning...It reminded me way too much of another sadist hiding in plain sight in this tourney, and even if their styles weren't quite the same...they both have a common outlook: no mercy, all pain.

 _You...You...!_

My teeth clench in time with both sets of my knuckles cracking, and I rose to my feet with an angry-shaking body before shouting,

"That tears it! Quattro, you're a dead man!"

"Does this mean you've become a fan too?"

"You, fucking, wish."

"Hm?"

...And just before any of my friends could stop me, I ran forward and let my fist do the talking, punching the burgundy-blond right in his left shoulder!

"Guh!"

He fell to the ground hard on his side, while his brother gasped loudly along with the people on my side.

"Brother!"

"Addy!" "Athena!"

I paid them no heed, my emotions blinding me from the rest of the world other than the bane of this new anger boiling in my veins, he rising up while rubbing his newly-bruised shoulder.

"Grh, well...that was new."

"I'm only just beginning."

He snaps his head up to my deadly-toned reply, and flinches a little from my expression as I slap a fist to my open palm and threaten,

"You won't be so eager to 'spoil your fans' when I'm done giving you a real-life dose of karma."

(...Vrrroooooom...)

"Hm?"

My concentration is cut by the sound of a very familiar vehicle, and the next thing I knew, Shark came jumping into the area on his duel cycle, screeching to a slide-stop just a few feet away from where I was!

...But much like myself before my focus broke, his eyes were for one person on his list for payback, a sneer fixed on his lips.

"Hello, _Quattro_."

He just smirks back as darkly, a hand still gripping the shoulder I suckerpunched, and it felt like the air of this place dropped a couple degrees...

"You were hard to find, but now that I've hunted you down, Quattro, let's Duel!"


	34. The Will of the Shark

We pick up the pages of our story just shortly after the very crushing defeat of Jamal Jukino and Caswell Todoroki by the cruel hands of their former duelist hero, Quattro, whom alongside his younger brother, is revealed to be a Number Hunter collecting the powerful cards for their family in the sole sake of vengeance against Doctor Faker for a wrong yet to be unveiled.

In retaliation for the extreme attacks dished out by the rouge/blond's puppet monsters against her friends, Athena was prepared to break into a full-out fisticuffs brawl with the former, if not for the sudden arrival of Shark, he finally tracking his manipulative rival down to brandish his own swift justice for what happened in that National Duel Tournament roughly a year prior to these main events...

Now, the young male with the blue-violet hair and cerulean irises had moved away from his duel runner to face Quattro with a hard glare.

"This is payback day, Quattro."

Rubbing his shoulder slightly from a certain girl's suckerpunch dealt a moment earlier, the late teen smirk-smiles at the other.

"Hello, Shark. How are things? You still upset about our duel at the Nationals, when you got kicked out?"

Shifting her stance so she standing beside Shark with just a few feet of space between them, Athena barks back,

"More like you sent him on a one-way train crash, you sadist! You left that deck of yours behind on purpose, didn't you?"

"Hmph, you got me there...So he's confined about what happened to you, did he? Heh, is that the other reason you punched me then, to get a little taste of vengeance for your friend? Cute."

The girl with the long plait of copper-rouge tipped black hair growls menacingly, holding up her right fist to crack her knuckles as she hisses,

"Call me cute again; I dare you."

"...You really punched him before I got here?"

She glances over at Shark, who was looking at her with a trace of surprise in his currently hardened facial features, and nods firmly in confirmation.

"I did...but I was holding back from doin' a _whole lot worse_ , mostly for what this bastard just did to Jamal and Cas."

Making the air between her finger joints pop again in another tight clench, Athena adds in a venomous mutter,

"No one, hurts my friends and gets away with it. No one...!"

The boy with the shark tooth necklace eyes her in a wary manner, sensing the very high amount of negative emotion she was obviously having a hard time containing.

 _...I dunno what exactly Quattro just did...but if looks could kill, Addy might put him in the ground before I can._

"By the way, how is that precious sister of yours doing?"

Shark whips his eyes back on his enemy upon hearing the one question that to his ears, should not have been so casually toned. Recalling that visit before he went to participate in that tournament finals, he spits,

"Grr...What happened to her, was your fault! I'll never forgive you! You made me lose sight of who I am, as a person, and as a duelist! I know I'll never get the chance to change what I did back then...but today, I get my revenge!"

Looking back and forth between Shark and Athena's burning irises of blue and red, Astral comments seriously to himself,

 _Both of them...Their spirits are quite similar to one another._

 _Anger, hate, and a desire for retribution and reforming their waning identities..._

 _Yet what contrasts them, is that Athena has been trying to move forward, away from her mistakes, and is forging a better control over her rage, even with this slip...Meanwhile, Shark is still struggling greatly..._

Chuckling a little at how sure the violet blue-haired male sounded, Quattro jeers back,

"Well then let's duel! Just make sure you don't peek at my deck."

...But just before their long-awaited battle could start, Trey suddenly shoots out a Duel Anchor from his Duel Disk to ensnare Shark by his right wrist!

"Guh! What is this?!"

Swallowing back her shock, Athena shoots a glare over towards the pinkette, asking with a dark tone directed at the equipment he was using,

"...So you use a Duel Anchor?" He cheerily replies,

"Yep! Now Shark and I can't separate until we have our duel!"

His older brother wasn't pleased with the interference:

"Trey! This is between Shark and me! You stay outta this!"

He just replies with a calm smile,

"I'm sorry...but Shark has no Numbers, brother, so there isn't really a need for you to duel against him, now is there?"

Trey then forms a more serious frown as he reminds the rouge-blond,

"Vetrix always says our mission come first."

A groan-like growl vibrates between his teeth, but Quattro reluctantly heeds his younger brother's advice, choosing to leave the situation to him, though not without calling to Shark,

"I'll have to crush you later!"

Shifting his dark rouge irises so that they locked momentarily with Athena's bright fiery red, he adds,

"And _you_. Don't think you're getting away with assaulting me, girl. When I get the opportunity, you're next."

Smirking darkly, she would retort in kind,

"Then you're gonna be on a long waiting list, boy. And I'd hardly call that punch an assault compared to what I've done to creeps like you in the past. What you felt today, (glare) was only the tip of that metaphorical blade."

"Gh!...Just, who are you?"

"Athena Fujina. Remember the name for your next nightmare."

The rest of the bodies in the area involuntarily shiver from the imposing tone used in the young teen's voice, while Quattro scoffs and pivots the other way to start out of the area, much to Shark's dismay.

"You can't leave! I challenged you!"

The late teen jesters up a completed ante for the WDC, the mysterious crest on the back of that hand glowing as its power stirs up a dust cloud to provide invisibility for his escape.

"Well if you want me, make it to the finals. I've already got my five Heart Pieces! Good luck, Shark, hehnhnhahaha!"

He would be gone just seconds later...

"Grrrrh, Quattroooo!"

Trey chides to the pissed teenage boy,

"Calm down. You'll still get to duel, Shark. You'll just get to duel me instead."

Shark growls annoyingly at the pinkette as a response...  
Astral then makes note of the brooding situation:

 _I have seen a Duel Anchor before. Kite had used one just like it against Athena..._ _And she has been subjected to the device many more times previously, by some rather brutish individuals you could hardly call duelists._

 _Once it was attached, there was no escaping..._

 _It would seem that Quattro and his brother, Trey, are indeed Number Hunters, but what purpose do they need the Numbers for?_

By this point, the boy with the blue bowl-cut hair had passed out, and Tiffany and Jamal decide that they needed to get their friend to some much needed medical aid, lifting his arms over their shoulders.

"Mph! I can feel a bad sprain in his right arm. We need to get him to the hospital."

"Right."

Hearing their plans, Athena asks them,

"Should I tail with you guys?" Shaking his head, Jamal replies,

"No...You're needed here with Shark. We'll get Cas to the help he needs."

Astral voices his own opinion:

"Athena. I agree that you should remain here."

"...Okay. Good luck, you two, and call me as soon as he's awake, alright?"

Her friends nod firmly, and start to hurry the unconscious boy out of the area, as Shark subsides with battling Trey.

"Guess I'll have to deal with your brother after I beat you!"

Taking that tone as a sign to back up and give her friend some space, Athena moves backwards to the far left just when he grabs his ocean blue Duel Disk to throw out at ready.

"It's crunch time!" His opponent would quickly meet his level of adrenaline.

"I'm prepped and primed! Ha!"

"Then let's settle this! Ready when you are."

We'd then see that much like Quattro's, Trey's Duel Disk was made in a gauntlet style, his being the traditional silver grey for the base, while the display piece for his cards would encompass a shape with the likeness to a white bird wing. Also, unlike the more recognizable Duel Gazer, the pinkette sported a soft orange Gazer Tattoo across his left eye.

Clicking on her own black-washed red Duel Gazer, Athena thinks to herself,

 _Guess I'll be putting my retaliation against Quattro on hold...for now, at least._

 **Augmented Reality Vision Link Established.**

"(Both Duelists) Let's Duel!"

Trey would take the first turn of the match:

"I'll go first! Okay, Shark? Ready or not, I Draw! To start, I'll activate the Field Spell, Sunken Kingdom!"

Once the card activates, an entire floodgate of H2O is released from that space, completely engulfing the field and submersing the players and witnesses in an underwater city! A school of silver minnows swim past a massive, corroding temple sitting off to the middle side, housing elements of the Ancient Mediterranean...

"Now, any water attribute monsters that get played gain 300 Attack Points."

While both of our duelists felt calm enough in this new atmosphere, Athena found herself a little nervous of the new virtual weight from the water pushing against her body on all sides.

 _Mph. I know we're not, really underwater...but this doesn't feel less suffocating. Alright, inhale...haaah, and exhale..._

"Next I summon my Chronomaly Mayan Machine!"

The monster Trey summons to the field is a Level Three with 1500 Attack Points, and held the appearance of a strange, white stone catapult-like mechanism.

"And now I'll end things with a face-down, and turn it over to you, Shark!"

Athena hms as she looks the Chronomaly Monster up and down.

"Chronomaly, huh? Kind-a looks like something to add to my parent's artifact collection..."

She side-glances over at Astral and asks,

"Does, anything like this tweak your interest, 'cause my knowledge is a bit limited."

Nodding slightly, the being with mismatched gold and silvery-white irises obliges.

"Chronomalies are artifacts that are too advanced to have been built by your primitive ancestors. Who made them and where they came from is still a mystery."

"Ah."

We'd focus back on the battle just as Shark takes hold of the first card to add to his hand.

"Now...I Draw! First, I'm summoning Hammer Shark! Thanks for playing this Sunken Kingdom Field Spell. Since my Hammer Shark is a water monster, it gets 300 Attack Points stronger!"

At that, the Level Four razor-toothed, armour-headed fish's power rises to 2000...However, Trey was prepared to counter such a threat with the following effect.

"Unfortunately for you, monsters that are Level Four or below can't attack Chronomaly Monsters in the Sunken Kingdom. Hammer Shark is useless here!"

"You think this field can shield your monster...but, (grabs a card) I have a Falling Current Spell Card! This Spell lets me pick a Level for my monster between one and three, so I'm gonna lower my Hammer Shark by one Level!"

Trey didn't seem worried; if anything, he felt the call to compliment his opponent's skill...well, to an extent.

"I see your deck is full of surprises, Shark...but lowering your monster's Level won't help you very much."

Grinning slightly, the boy with cerulean irises retorts as he activates his next card,

"Tell that to Big Jaws! Since I activated a Spell Card this turn, I can let loose Big Jaws to help me take a bite out of your strategy! But before I do that, Big Jaws powers up by 300 Points!"

Athena smirks slightly, knowing where her friend was going with his tactics.

 _Here comes the XYZ..._

"And now I'll overlay my Level Three Hammer Shark and Big Jaws, in order to build the Overlay Network!...Now, I XYZ Summon, Black Ray Lancer!"

And bursting out of the stone city floor, was that Rank Three monster with 2100 Attack Points and harboring the appearance of a black-finned warrior wielding a dark magenta/purple spear...

"Since XYZ Monsters don't have Levels, Sunken Kingdom can't stop it from attacking your Mayan Machine."

Athena cheers,

"Sick 'em, Shark!"

"Black Ray Lancer, go! Attack with Shimmering Spear Slash!"

Charging forward with a twirl of their weapon, Shark's monster successfully takes out Trey's in but one strike, leaving the latter to shield himself with his arm as his Life Points fell to 3400.

"Rrrgh...I activate, Stone Hedge Methods!"

A replica of the infamous Stone Hedge rises from the depths of the battlefield to act as a summoning circle...

"When my Chronomaly Monster is destroyed, I can summon any rock-type Chronomaly Monster that's Level Four or below in Defense Mode. So I'm summoning Chronomoly Colossal Head!"

The next monster he would bring to the field was a Level Four with 1600 Defense Points, in the guise of a grey-blue stone humanoid head with designs that suggest possible Mayan origins...

"Hmph. Guess I've done enough damage for one turn."

Shark places a single card face-down, signifying the end of his first round in the game.

"You're up!"

"If you insist. I Draw!"

Green irises glance up at the drawn card, before deciding to play it.

"And I Summon Chronomaly Golden Jet!"

Dropping from the waters above was a Level Four monster with 1300 Attack Points, their appearance being the named mode of transport with a mixed old and modern design.

"And now I'm gonna activate the Spell, Orichalcum Chain! This chain gives me a missing link when I need it, so when I want to XYZ Summon, I can do it using one fewer monster."

"...Really?"

"(Nod) _But_ , using this can also be quite risky. If the chain breaks, then you get control of the monster I XYZ Summoned with it. But there's no way I'm gonna let that happen, so do yourself a favour and don't even bother trying."

Shaking her head in near-exasperation and annoyance, Athena thinks to herself,

 _He, does realize he's only prompting Shark to try and snap that metal, right?_

The pendulum-tipped chain shoots out of the face-up card as Trey moves on with his strategy.

"It's time to put my Spell Card into action! First I'll overlay Level Four Colossal Head and Golden Jet. Then, with the help of my Orichalcum Chain, I can build the Overlay Network! I XYZ Summon, Number 32: Shark Drake!"

The Number to come rising to the Duel Monster Field through a torrential whirlpool, was Rank Four with 2800 Attack Points, and harbored the appearance of a humanoid beast with very subtle elements of the predatory fish, spiny clawed feet, sharp-edged fin arms that were similar to the wings protruding from their hunched back, the entire body's colour scheme being black-purple and dark blue with a little bit of salmon pink on the lower legs.

"Very impressive..."

"It gets better! Remember, Sunken Kingdom will add 300 Attack Points to Shark Drake's total."

So now the Number Monster held a strong 3100...

"Okay, Shark Drake! Strike down Black Ray Lancer! Go, Deep Sea Destruction!"

It shoots out a glowing projection of itself to charge straight for Shark's monster, clamping its jaws around the other's torso before they depixelate, leaving Shark to grit his teeth as he shields himself from the after push, his Life Points dropping to sit at 3000. At the same time the violet blue-haired boy's ally on the sidelines mutters his name in concern, Trey piles onto the new problem.

"I activate Shark Drake's special ability! After it destroys a monster in battle, I can use an Overlay Unit so I can bring back the monster I just destroyed back onto your field, only now it's 1000 points weaker! Then Shark Drake can battle that monster all over again."

In accordance to the explanation, a cyclone of water goes diving into the Graveyard to force Black Ray Lancer to return, but with 1100 Attack points instead of 2100!

"That's double the attacks for me, and double the pain for you!"

Athena's POV

I couldn't help but glare bitterly towards this Trey guy for pulling a move like that after being forced to watch his brother invoke the same if more brutal version against my two guy friends.

"That is so out of bounds, and a definite sign that he and Quattro are related if they're using similar strategies."

Astral comments back,

"Indeed. The ability is quite rare...It is also quite effective."

"Shark Drake is the most relentless attacker you've ever seen!"

 _Nooo arguments there, pal._

"It's gonna destroy your monster all over again! Go, Deep Sea Destruction!"

Unfortunately, Shark doesn't have anything on his field or immediate hand to defend himself, so he was forced to be the deer caught in the headlights as Lancer is destroyed again! He lets out a yell as he's thrown back alot harder by the impact, his Life Points falling to 1000...

"Shark!"

 _Dammit, wasn't it bad enough that I had to see Cas and Jamal get thrashed around like rag dolls?!_

 _...I can't stand it!_

While my logic to the virtual surroundings and my common sense agitated by the real-like graphics battle it out, I swallowed them back to make room for my protective nature and sped to the edge of the roof section I was standing on, before jumping over to the top of the outdoor hall Shark and Trey were fighting on, the 'water' making me feel like I was doing a moon jump.

 _Huh...this is kind-a cool._

My landing wasn't as smooth as I wanted it to be, but at least I didn't trip and fall on my face.  
Once I was sure my stance was steady, I hurried over to kneel down by my friend's side.

"Shark...You alright?"

Groaning slightly, he pushes away my outreached hand a touch harshly but not too unkindly before moving back onto his feet again.

"I'm gonna be fine...You didn't have to come over here."

Hmphing, I too stand up so I was now only a foot or two away from his right side again, grumbling,

"Excuse me for caring..."

My attention was then directed towards Astral as he says to me with a scolding expression,

"I realize this reality is virtual, but that was nevertheless a reckless move to jump all the way over here."

"Tch, like you wouldn't have done the same? Spare me."

Shark was glancing over our direction with a raised brow, and I just wave a dismissive hand.

"Astral."

"Ah."

"...Shark?"

"Yeah?"

I give him a smirk mixed into a firm expression and tell him,

"Quit actin' like you're not good at this game and take the twerp down."

He looks at me incredulously...before smirking back.

"Teh, count on it. One or two attacks aren't enough to beat me."

"Yeah I know. Just ask Scorch and Chills."

We almost laugh at the memory of that crazy tag duel, but would divert our focus ahead towards Trey when he suddenly jeers,

"Heheh, is that right? Well I'll just give you a break and end my turn. But, if you don't find a way to stop Shark Drake, this duel is over."

Since I was closer to the battle now and valentine boy's sights, I decided to shift to telepathic communication to talk to my friend from beyond this galaxy to avoid any weird stares.

 _Hey, Astral... is there a way for Shark to make a comeback from this point?_

"Yes...There is one way."

 _What is it?_

"...He will have to take control of Number 32."

I almost gasp, knowing what that will mean for Shark:

 _But...the last time he had a Number, Leviathan Dragon, he wasn't able to control himself..._

 _What if the same thing happens again with Shark Drake?_

"Yes, I too am a little concerned about that possibility...but we will just have to trust that your influence, has made his free will stronger than back then."

 _...My influence?_

I was a little taken aback by that characterization, mostly by the...positivity laced in it.  
Astral must have sensed my confusion and, self-doubt, for his lips curved into a small, meaningful smile.

"Yes, Athena. You may not believe it, but I have observed that you have been a good influence to many different people."

 _...Me, a good influence...Psh, yeah, sure._

 _Maybe I know how to warn people about Life's ugly side, (sad frown) but I'm just as good at getting them into trouble too._

My friend looks at me with pity for my self-berating:

"Athena..."

We'd snap back to the battle just as Shark brings out his next monster.

"I summon, Skull Kraken!"

That skeletal octopus thing comes crawling out of the stone...

"And now I'm activating Skull Kraken's special ability! Once I summon this monster, I can destroy a face-up Spell or Trap Card that's on your field, so I'm destroying your Orichalcum Chain!"

The black smog destroys that Spell, and a soft gold ring forms around Shark Drake's neck for a moment, before it too shatters like glass, giving the Number the green light to fly over to this side of the field...!

"I did it! Shark Drake is under my control now!"

 _But how long can you say that for, Shark?_

To emphasize my point, that familiar dark magenta/purple aura began forming around the monster and the duelist who was now controlling it.

"Naarah-aaaaaaagh!"

"Shark!"

He just kept letting out struggled cries of pain that was both physical and mental, as the numeral symbol for 32 burns onto the back of his enclosed right fist.

...That was when that weird phenomenon happened again.

 _ **"Shaaaaark. You will let me enter your mind and soul."**_

 _Gh!...It's the Number...!_

"...Athena?"

Whipping my head to Astral's direction, I saw that his body had stiffened up and his eyes were wide like mine probably were...I quickly figured out why:

 _Uh...You can hear the voice now too, can't you?_

"Y-Yes, I can...It would seem that our telepathic communication is much more, extensive than we previously believed."

 _Haaah, nice..._

Turning back to my friend currently battling, my focus back on his body would allow me to listen as the deep, demonic voice of Number 32 tries to manipulate him into giving into their power.

 ** _"With me as your ally, you will no longer need the help of those so-called, friends."_**

 _No! No, don't listen to the Number, Shark! Fight back!_

Shark's POV

As soon as I stole Shark Drake away from my opponent, my mind was pulled into this, dark abyssal space with the monster...

 _What, is, this...?_

 ** _"Shaaaaark. You will let me enter your mind and soul."_**

 _Uh!...Is that, the Number?  
_

I'd get my answer soon enough, as the thing reaches one of its claw-tipped arms towards me.

 ** _"With me as your ally, you will no longer need the help of those so-called, friends."_**

 _W-What are you doin'? No, don't-  
_

It was too late for me to back away, and I would feel the sharp point pierce my chest, causing a throbbing pain to go shooting through my veins. I let out a scream...but then...

 _(Flash)_

 _"..._ _You're a good duelist...I'll see you around."_

 _"Right, see you...and hey, let's get together again and duel for the real joy of it, without the dumb antes! If you wanna be remembered in a good light, you gotta build some pages that'll balance the rough end of your history."_

 _"You may have a point...Til then, Addy."_

 _(Flash)_

 _A-A...Athe-na..._

 _(Flash)_

 _"So that's it, then? You're gonna continue being a wussy little coward and refuse to face your problems?"_

 _"Rrrrh, shut up! How dare you call me a coward!"_

 _"I ain't daring anything: I'm stating a fact."_

 _"Why are you so insistent on prying into my head anyway?!"_

 _"Because I've been down your road before, Shark!"_

 _(Flash)_

 ** _"I am all that you need in this world. Let me take hoooold."_**

 _...No...No, they're wrong!  
_

Swallowing down some of the pain, I choke back at the monster in a grit,

"I don't need you..."

It growls at me, but I wasn't about to let something like this intimidate me. Now now...not ever!

"I won't let you control meeeeeee!"

...Shark Drake fades away...

"I am in control and you will obey me!"

...

...

I was soon back in reality, winded, but with my head on straight.

 _I...I did it. I fought back the Number...!_

I hear the girl of my flashbacks call my name softly and in concern, and I slowly pivot my head to her, nodding slightly to signal I was fine.

 _Athena...thank you._

"Hah, hah...okay. Let's gooo!"

Trey's POV

I was perplexed that Shark somehow fought against Number 32's influence.

 _He should have been possessed by the Number...!_

 _...I wonder..._

My eyes glance over at the girl that was with him...Athena, Fujina, like she had something to do with it...

 _Did she?_

"Your plan backfired, Trey! Go get 'im, Shark Drake! Deep Sea Destruction!"

"Ha! Hope you're ready for a pounding, Trey!"

Glaring at both of them, I quickly met the attack with a counter:

"Not happening! I activate the Trap, Antikythira Gear!"

The ancient gears manifest onto the field...

"I can use this if _you_ attack me directly when you have two or more monsters on the field. It lets me take control of your non-attacking monster and put it in Defense Mode!"

But just before the tendrils that shot from my Trap could ensnare Skull Kraken, Shark manages to counter my counter!

"Not so fast! I activate my own Trap Card! Extreme Pressure Power lets me destroy one of my own monsters, then draw a card from my deck!"

 _Uh!...He really is quite a skilled duelist..._

"Looks like I just out-trapped your trap."

I groan through my teeth, knowing this meant that he could continue with his attack with no worries.

"Keep up with your attack! Come on, Shark Drake!"

I'm hit hard by the transparent bite, and let out a cry as I'm thrown backwards to the ground, my Life Points dropping all the way to 300!

"I'll put two cards face-down and end my turn."

Rising to my feet again, I mutter to myself in more conscientious thought,

"He's tougher than we thought..."

 _My mission was simple: to give Shark a Number._

 _Once I finished my mission, Vetrix said I should let Shark win the duel...but he never said I had to make it easy for 'im._

Deciding that playing seriously instead of flopping the rest of the match would mean a better outcome, I make my next move.

"Now, Shark, I Draw! And I play the Spell, Chronomaly Technology!...Now if I banish a Chronomaly Monster from my Graveyard, I get to draw two new cards from my deck. Then I send one to the Graveyard...I summon Chronomaly Crystal Bones to the field! I can summon this monster when you're the only one with monsters on the field."

My Level Three monster with 1300 Attack Points and the appearance of a glass-like skeleton with no head...not yet, at least.

"And Crystal Bones's special ability allows me to bring back Chronomaly Crystal Skull from the Graveyard! (Holds up card) Rise up, Crystal Skull!"

This monster was also a Level Three, but with only 900 Attack Points, and harboring a more polished version of the infamous so-proclaimed Pre-Columbian artifacts.

"Now I overlay both my Level Three Crystal Skull and Crystal Bones! With these two monsters, I build the Overlay Network, and XYZ Summon Chronomaly Crystal Chrononaut!"

This monster was a Rank Three with 2100 Attack Points, and looked like a blue stone humanoid moth with narrow wings, with a small round mirror in the middle of its chest.

"If I use an Overlay Unit, it can't be destroyed this turn, and not only that, you'll take the damage I would've taken."

That seemed to wipe away some of Shark's cocky confidence.

"Say what?!"

"(Knowing smile) To put it simply, your Shark Drake has alot more Attack Points than my Chronomaly Crystal Chrononaut. 1000 points more. And those extra points are gonna come flying at you! Crystal Chrononaut, attack Shark Drake! Go, Reflect Flash!"

A copy of my monster shoots out from the mirror in their chest to charge for the Number. I hear Athena shout,

"Heads up, man," and I jeer,

"Face it, Shark, you are sunk!"

"Then I'll get unsunk, with the Spell, Plate Salvage!...It's time for a change of scenery!"

Thanks to the effects of his Spell, the underwater world I created would become void of the salt water, looking more like an ancient island that you could walk around and explore...

"Now your Sunken Kingdom Field Spell can't work for two turns! That means Sunken Kingdom's effect is history, so now Shark Drake loses 300 Attack Points."

 _I see now: he's trying to lower the damage he's about to take..._

Even so, he would feel some of the mirrored backlash after Shark Drake destroys my Chrononaut's copy, activating the reflective property, and causing him to be hit with 700 points of damage...Now the both of us had only 300 Life Points each...

 _I can't believe it! Shark is great at thinking on his feet, so I'm sure he'll try and use Shark Drake's special ability._

 _I should just let him win this duel, (light smirk) but where's the fun in that?_

"I'm ending my turn! Throw your best at me, Shark!"

"Rrh, I Draw!...Okay, Shark Drake! Shatter that Crystal Chrononaut!"

"Not so fast! I'll use Colossal Head's ability to put the breaks on Shark Drake! When I banish this Chronomaly Monster from my Graveyard, I can switch the monster on my field from Attack to Defense Mode!"

So while the Number did succeed in taking out my Chronomaly Monster, I would be safe from any real battle damage...

"I activate Shark Drake's special ability! When Shark Drake destroys a monster in battle, it can bring it back onto your field, but don't forget, that monster has 1000 less Attack Points, and that's gonna make you, a prime target!"

I growl a bit, and Shark adds,

"If you were thinking I would forget about Shark Drake's special ability, you were wrong...So, attack Shark Drake!"

 _...Heh, I knew it._

Smiling, I counter,

"Actually, I was right. You see, I knew you'd master that Number's special ability, so now I'm ready with my Trap, Chronomaly Ley Line Power!"

"A Trap!?"

"Exactly. It's a Trap that can exchange the Attack Points of the two monsters that are battling, so now my Crystal Chrononaut is stronger than Shark Drake!"

 _I'd just love to see him try and get out of this one..._

"Sorry, Shark, but it's over."

"(Grin) _Yes it is_."

"Huh?!"

"See, I expected you to pull a move like that, so I had the ultimate counter card up my sleeve to put an end to this duel."

Now I was definitely nervous:

 _No...Don't tell me he has...!_

"It's the Trap Card, Sea King's Verdict! If your Trap Card activated during a battle, this one cancels it out."

"Cancels it out?!"

A Poseidon-like figure rises and sends its spear forward to destroy the energy transfer line between Chrononaut and Drake...

"Shark Drake, let's finish this duel, and finish this off!"

There was nothing I could do to stop this attack, and Crystal Chrononaut would be shattered to pieces, leaving me to go flying backwards with a yell as the loser of this match...Still, all according to plan.

 _And at least I fought a good fight..._

No POV

While happy Athena was for Shark in winning the duel, as she pulls off her Duel Gazer, the teenager found herself in a mixed state of feeling.

"Hm...I'm glad that's over...even though he had the wrong opponent..."

Astral nodded in acknowledgement, commenting,

"This was a most impressive victory."

Meanwhile, as Trey moved back onto his feet again, he somewhat reluctantly commends the boy with cerulean irises for the win.

"Hah, hah...not bad, Shark. You get this win, but next time, it'll be different."

He then tosses the other a Heart Piece in accordance to the tournament rules...but would hold up an already completed ante!

"I made it to the finals, and I look forward to facing you there."

Athena was flabbergasted at seeing the full jewel heart.

"No, way...! Him too?!"

 _...He and Quattro must've really worked their asses off the other day and this morning if they've got their Heart Pieces completed that fast._

Trey's next sentence would only confuse her further:

"You can hold onto that Number Card if you want. Think of it as a souvenir of our duel."

 _What? He's willing to give up the Number?_

 _...Something's weird here..._

She wouldn't have much time to ponder about it, when the young man with green irises suddenly brandishes his own glowing crest on the back of his left hand, white-green and in the shape of a flower, which would shine brightly to obscure everyone's vision for a moment...before dimming away quicker than it formed, taking Trey with it!

 _Uh!...He's gone..._

(Briiing, briiing)

"Hm?"

Athena's Duel Gazer then starts ringing, so she pulls it back out to answer.

(Ping)

 _"(Digital) Addy!"_

"Tiff! Hey...How's Cas doin'; is he alright?"

 _"(Digital) Uh-huh, he's gonna be alright. Aside from a bad sprain in his arm, the doctor said he just needs to rest up."_

The girl with red irises lets out a huge sigh of relief:

"Thank god...I needed to hear something good right now."

 _"(Digital) Why? Is Shark okay?"_

...Looking up from Tiffany's image to meet her red irises with the subject of conversation's blue, Athena replies in a bit of vagueness,

"Uh...yeah...He won against Trey...Listen, I'll catch up with you guys in a bit."

Sensing a bit of tension in her friend's voice, the girl with cornflower blue irises decides to ask about it later.

 _"(Digital) Uum, okay. See you, Addy."_

(Ping)

Athena tucks her Duel Gazer away, not once turning her eyes away from the friend in front of her, each one occupying a neutral expression that didn't speak the volume of emotions their hearts and minds did.

"...What haven't you told me, Shark?"

"What?"

"What else did Quattro do to you, and how does it involve your sister?...Did he, hurt her in some way?"

Shark stiffens considerably with an expression of surprise from Athena's intuition...but then frowns with his eyes closed and turns his head away.

"It...It's not something you need to know."

"Why?"

"Dammit, Addy-"

"No! Don't just brush me off with a dammit! Explain yourself! Why do you refuse to say anything when you obviously need help?!"

"Because I already have one person I care about in intensive care; I don't need that number to climb!"

...

A blanket of silence folds between the two teens for a moment, the girl shocked from the boy's outburst that held not just anger...but a touch of anxiety.

"...What...?"

Sucking in a strong breath with a sigh, Shark walks forward until he was standing directly in front of Athena, taking one of her arms into his hand in a firm grip like he needed something to steady himself.

"Look...as, much as there's a part of me that appreciates your, support...you of all people should understand why I also want you to keep your distance."

"...I do...but you and I both know that's not gonna happen, right?"

Smiling bitterly, Athena adds,

"Our paths are gonna cross again eventually, even if yours is heading in the direction of vengeance while mine is primarily to just, avoid disaster for as long as I can...Plus, I still owe Quattro a beating for hurting Jamal and Caswell earlier in that cruel duel, and I truly do mean a beating."

"Athena..."

"I'll leave the real work to you in that regard, of course...Just, promise me that you won't lose yourself along the way, and contradict everything you've been working towards since we first met."

Shark could only stare at the girl in front of him in awe for a moment...before sighing through his nose and nodding a bit.

"I'll...I'll try."

"Thank you...That's all I ask of you."

A stranger, slightly more comfortable silence falls between the two teens, and Astral watches them while thinking to himself,

 _Now that Shark has another Number, we will certainly have to duel him again someday._

...

By this time, Trey had returned to his family's home in that sky-high suite, reporting the details of his mission to Vetrix.

"That was excellent work, Trey. Shark won't suspect a thing because of the way you let him win."

"To be honest, I think Shark would've won no matter how hard I tried..."

"You're just being modest as usual."

"But sir, Shark wasn't possessed by the Number, so I failed."

Grinning, Vetrix argues,

"Not at all; your mission was a success. There is now a seed of darkness in Shark's soul that will grow within him over time, before _consuming him completely, hehahahahaha!_ "

...

And cutting back to the teen of subject, as he somewhat reluctantly shares a hug with Athena as they ready to part ways again at the entrance to the alleyway...we see that the part of his chest where Number 32 had 'stabbed' him, was glowing a dim but ominous dark red/purple...


	35. Film Reels & Predicted Drama, Part One

(...Cli-Flash...Cli-Flash...Cli-Flash, Cli-Flash)

"Rgh, hey!"

Turning back the clock to the same night as the events surrounding Number 7 and Charlie McCay, somewhere within a darkened but reasonably-nice neighbourhood pathway, we witness a different brand of trouble taking place, in the form of a mysterious young male who carries a camera attachment for his own Duel Disk and was currently throwing his opponent off with the exposure flash...

"Some say photos bring back memories of the past, _but mine do the opposite._ "

The pictures are printed instantly, and he holds them up while boasting,

"They bring forth the future, and the future says that you'll be losing this duel!"

The victim of this strange activity - also male but whom we can see is a dusty brunette wearing onyx black pants with a gray black t-shirt under a purple unbuttoned short-sleeve - refused to believe in such a claim.

"Whadda ya know about the future?! That camera of yours, a-ain't even digital!"

"I can sense the fear behind your voice...and you have right to be afraid because the future, has now arrived!"

An X amount of turns pass...and the brunette's yell would ring out towards the moonlit sky as he meets defeat...

Staring down at his newly defeated opponent, the other young male says,

"I hope you remember what you learned here today...But if you wake up later and it's all a fuzz, take a trip down memory lane on me."

And we see that the photographs he tossed to the ground before walking away, held highlights of the duel itself right before they even occurred!

Time Skip, Athena's POV

It's been a little more than half hour since I exited the hospital with Astral and Tiffany after visiting Caswell, while Jamal chose to stay behind and keep our more injured friend company, and I gotta tell ya, if I wasn't feeling sick to my stomach because of all the drama going on behind the scenes of this tourney before...I am now.

We decided to stop by the city river to try and collect ourselves...but bitterness is all can taste in my mouth as I sat on the stairs, holding my head in a single hand while the elbow was propped atop my knees.

"God...I knew things were gonna escalate, but I was hoping the craziness would pace itself...I wanna believe some part of my advice stuck with Shark, but, after earlier, it's hard to say."

 _There was no mistaking that look in his eyes, the look of vengeance from a thousand versions of Hell..._

 _On the other hand, after seeing what Quattro was all about, I can't really blame my friend for being so hot under the collar._

 _Hell, I'm still feeling the burn in my chest after that duel I had to watch._

Brushing my fingers against the very light bandaging around my other hand's knuckles Tiffany insisted upon before we left the hospital even though there wasn't much of a break in skin, I let out a puff of breath and narrow my face into a grim expression.

"I don't wanna prove Terry right by sayin' it, but...Dueling's really become an outlet of violence as of late, and I don't just mean physical. People are being hurt mentally, emotionally, spiritually...Shark...Kite...they're both scared but won't admit it, scared of getting others involved in their shit because they're already knee-deep in trouble. Jamal, Caswell...they just got hurt. God, no one's been safe."

Slapping a palm against my upper thigh which startles my two friends currently with me, I exclaim,

"I'm not safe, dammit! Putting the major excitements aside, it's been too quiet in terms of that bastard Trilos, which means either he's already qualified for the finals...or he's hiding somewhere, waiting for the right moment to jump me. Either way, the longer the time before our confrontation stretches...mph, (hangs face in hands) the more duelists he's gonna dish a serious beating to as a way to 'kill time'."

I hear Tiffany chide my name in concern...and as I slowly remove my hands, I mutter with a helplessly sad smile,

"...Where the frig has my life gone?"

 _Gathering Number Cards would be an easier job if we could just cut the damn, irritating and troublesome noise they blare..._

"Hey, Addy, look over there."

Allowing a moment of distraction, I cast my eyes to where my more chipper friend was indicating, spotting a rather ginormous air ship that kind-a looked like a whale imitating a jet.

 _Huh..._

"Must be giving flights to commemorate for the World Duel Carnival."

"Mm, probably..."

Turning around so her blue eyes were fixed on me, she proposes with a gentle smile and tone,

"I get this is a bit of an intense time for you right now, but, how 'bout I try to get us a pair of tickets? Maybe a ride in the skies could help reorganize your thoughts."

"Hm...I dunno, Tiff..."

Moving so she was sitting beside me on the small case of steps, my BFF places a palm on my leather-padded shoulder to give me another vocal nudge, her tone showcasing more of her worries.

"It won't be that long a ride, I think, and...I don't like seeing you this way. I just, want to bring you to center again, even if it's just for a little while...Please?"

 _Man, she makes it impossible to say no sometimes..._

 _You know what? Screw it, what the hell? If it's just gonna keep goin' downhill from here, may as well enjoy the drop, or part of it._

Forcing up a half-smile, I mutter,

"Alright, you win; we'll go check that flying whale of an airship out, but don't expect me to pay my fare."

Giving me a quick squeeze with a happy giggle, Tiffany replies as she bounces back to her feet,

"I already said I'd be getting us tickets, anyway, but I'm glad you're willing..."

Snatching up my hand, she tugs me to my own feet and starts leading us along to the direction where the airship would've landed.

"Come on, we better hurry over there before we get stuck in a huge line at the ticket kiosk."

"Sure thing, Tiff..."

"...That was fake."

Humming in confusion, I glanced up at Astral who was hovering with us on my left side, and eyeing me with an expression of critique.

"That smile you gave to her as you agreed to her wishes held no truth to what was reflected in your eyes...You are doing this for her sake, and not your own peace of mind, correct?"

To argue the opposite would've damned me to a session of pointless back and forth...so I just let out a quiet breath and nodded discreetly at him while replying telepathically,

 _You've gotten real good at reading behind the surface text...and, yeah, you caught me._

 _I don't really feel that amped for checkin' out the airship...but, I don't wanna cause anymore worry for Tiff._

"So you're choosing to lie to her about how you really feel."

 _I am...yet I'm not since she already has a good idea._

 _Besides, who knows? Maybe this might do me some good and my depression's just making me stubborn._

 _...It has before...but just 'cause my parade's getting rained on, doesn't mean I should have to steal another's umbrella._

"I see...Observation Number 17: humans will sometimes convey words that they know another wants to hear, but isn't always what is truly in their hearts. They harbor their troubles within, to try and avoid dragging others down with them. This strategy may work on some levels...but it can also be very harmful, if left unattended for too long."

...I couldn't find a way to reply to that, and just chose to look straight ahead of myself to avoid Astral's eyes...while also fighting this weird feeling in the back of my skull, like, I was being watched...

Trilos's POV

 _Keh, little punk has no idea I'm here...Must be more muddled in 'er drama than I expected._

I was just passing by the river on my way to meet with a few flunkies of mine for our daily check-in at the club since I, the active leader, am technically off-duty for this tourney, when I came across my target of interest with that little gal pal of hers...

I stopped to listen to her from a distance as she gabbed on and off about how disheartening Dueling's become, grinning a little in satisfaction when she came to the part about her paranoia regarding our delaying meet and punch.

 _Hm~, scared are we, Berserker? Heh, good, 'cause you should be._

Cracking the knuckles of my fist, I mumble to myself with a smirk while watching the pair of girls walk to where that airship's suppose to be parked at,

"Just gotta bide my time for the perfect opportunity, not only to beat you...but to hit your heart where it really hurts."

 _For now, I can reside with makin' the hairs on your skin stand on end..._

Small Time Skip, Athena's POV

Tiffany, Astral and I had just arrived at the large park square acting as that big airship's main landing spot, and that weird nagging feeling still hasn't left me. Yet, no matter how many times I peer around from our vantage points, I find nothing that warrants a threat...

"Addy?"

Snapping out of my latest critical daze, I pivot my head towards my BFF who was looking at me with a perplexed expression in her facial features.

"Is something wrong?"

"Uhm, I don't think so...I just keep getting this creepy vibe breezing my skin, like there's eyes leering at me."

Smiling at bit nervously but reassuringly, she replies,

"I see...I'd call that a definite sign that you need a break from everything."

Humming in agreement, I think to myself,

 _She's probably right; my mind's just being a little overactive...Still...why won't it stop?_

"Okay everybody, say cheese~!"

"Chee~se!"

"Huh?"

Turning around to those new snaps in the mundane quiet, I could see some dude who looked between mine and Astral's age (I dunno how old he is where he comes from [nor does he, for that matter...], so we've guess-timated that he's at least a year or two older than I am in human years) who was taking a picture of a sextet group of friends.

"That's a keeper."

As the young boys smile and ask for copies of the photo to be sent to them, I hear Tiffany hum,

"Hey...I know him! That's Cameron!"

 _Cameron?_

She starts calling the guy over to where we are:

"Hey, Cameron, long time, no see! It's me, Tiffany!"

He looks over our way, giving me a better visual of his appearance: short, teal blue hair in the curtain bang style, light violet eyes, complexion just a shade or two lighter than my own, and wore an outfit that includes a baker-style cap of maroon brown and indigo black, a black, dull gold-striped, button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up past the elbows, an orange vest, red tie, white pants, and creamy tan sneakers.

Took a couple seconds...but he seemed to recognize my friend too based on the smile that formed on his face.

"Tiffany?!"

He hurries over to us, careful with his camera, his irises alight with happiness in meeting with an old friend.

"Wow, Tiffany Quen, it is you! Gosh, who would've guessed I'd run into you here?"

"I know! I'm just as surprised!"

The animation between the two was a bit much, so I coughed slightly to put myself back into the loop.

"Uh, one of ya mind filling me in on the story?"

Tiffany jumps a bit in realization to my lack of intel before forming an apologetic smile.

"Ooh, right, sorry, girl. (Gestures a hand) This is Cameron Clix: he was a temporary transfer student in our class last year before he went into an arts school. It was...during, those months when you weren't in school as often 'cause of...?"

Forming a bitter smile from the old situation unmentioned verbally, I nod and think,

 _Aah, yes, that explains it..._

She then introduces me to Cameron here:

"Cameron, this is Addy, or Athena Fujina, my BFF."

We reach out to shake eachother's hand as he remarks,

"Oh, so you're Addy. Tiffany's mentioned you in conversation a few times, as the-um, friend who was going through some personal issues...?"

"Teh, yeah, that'll be me. Nice to meet you and all, and sorry we didn't sooner."

"It's all good. Better late than never."

...Suddenly, just as our fingertips were parting, I felt this weird shock pass from his skin to mine, like the static electricity version of a heartbeat.

(Pulse...)

"Uh...!"

 _The hell...?_

"How 'bout we head over by the fountain for a minute and catch up?"

"Sure! Coming, Addy?"

Jolting back to reality, I stopped staring at my fingers with a dumbfounded look to shoot a quick,

"Yep," with just as fast a smile...even though inside, I was feeling a new wave of unease...

No POV

"It's been so long, Tiffany. I think the last time I saw you was, oh! I know: when you let me take those portrait shots!"

Said girl with the black bobbed hair felt a smile of embarrassment form as she and Cameron started talking about old times by the square fountain, her cheeks dusting pink, much to Athena's amusement.

"O~h, you never told me about your secret career as a muse, Tiff."

"Oh shut up, it's not like that. He was assisting with the class photos and got to wield the camera center stage after the first dozen students."

Turning her irritated smile into one of appreciation, she says to Cameron,

"I gotta say, though, you were way more professional than the guy the teachers hired...Still can't believe you put those on display at that youth art festival. That was a bit embarrassing."

The young man with light purple eyes lightly argues in kind,

"I don't see why. You're a natural in front of the camera...In fact..."

Turning his gaze towards the Heartland airship, Cameron proposes,

"How about we take some shots over there, by the airship? (Glances at Athena) Maybe make it a best friend photo for you and Addy. Whadda ya say?"

Tiffany nods with a,

"Good idea," and Athena shrugs with a lazy smirk,

"Sure, why not," before all three teens and one other world being make their way closer to where the transport vehicle was...

"Uh, should I freshen my look up a bit beforehand?"

Rolling her eyes, the girl with red irises lightly nudges Tiffany for asking such a question.

"There you go worrying about vanity again..." Cameron just laughs and says,

"No way. You look great. Trust me on this."

Sighing gently, the girl with the cornflower blue irises took their words for it, and readies herself into a pose in front of the distant airship with Athena, both girls holding hands while using their free ones to display matching peace signs. Watching them a few feet to the side from the camera range, Astral found himself smiling a little at the warm feeling between the pair of friends...which would shift into an expression of confusion, when he felt something off.

"Hm?"

Pivoting his head towards the source of the strange energy, the being felt his mismatched orbs of gold and silver white widen to the tune of his gasp, seeing a new but very familiar dark aura around Cameron as the boy got ready to take the photo!

 _What on earth...?_

(Click)

The photo is captured, and the dark ring of purple/magenta leaves the outline of Cameron's body, giving Astral a reason to relax a little...but not so much that he wasn't feeling a rise of suspicion.

 _Hmm..._

Not sensing what he had, Athena and Tiffany decide to let Cameron hang onto the photo until they come back from their ride on the airship, noticing a new crowd of citizens and visitors readying to walk aboard.

"Oh, looks like they're gonna take off soon."

"We better hurry over there, then. It was nice seeing you again, Cameron!"

With that, the girls spin on their heels and start rushing over to the airship, forcing Astral to follow after them, but not without shooting a final narrowed expression in the shutterbug's direction...

Unbeknownst to either three, as the picture printed off of Cameron's camera, his eyes and smile curved into an otherwise morbid manner...

Small Time Skip

"My, god, this view is incredible! (Gulp) B-But we're so high up from the ground..."

The Heartland City commemorative airship had soon taken flight from the square with a new crowd of passengers, including Athena, Astral and Tiffany, and as the mode of transport steadily made its way through the air, the latter would soon find herself facing a mix of excitement and bundling nerves thanks to her mild fear of heights, to which the second former wasted no time commenting on.

"Yeah, which is why I'm surprised a fraidy-cat like you would even suggest this...Oh for god's sake-"

Biting back a snort of exasperation while rolling her red irises, Athena then steps over to her friend who had her hands and the tip of her nose pressed to the ceiling-high glass windows looking outward, and grips the back of the baby blue vest to drag the other girl toward the center of the main viewing room.

"Will ya quit doin' that?!"

"I can't help it; I both love and hate the sight!"

"Well you're making me nervous by leaning against the glass like an idiot about to fall out to their doom."

Tiffany whines with a flash of fear,

"Don't say stuff like that," to which the girl wearing the black pleated skirt and white bandeau top just tches back in annoyance...

"Athena? Tiffany? That you girls?"

Pausing their semi-childish debate, the pair of best female friends hm in confused unison to the familiar voice calling them, and turn around to see,

"Uh, Yoko!" "Yoko?!"

Said young woman with the bubblegum pink hair, pale pink skin that made the freckles around her nose stand out, and bright green eyes smiles smartly at them in a friendly manner from a couple feet away, today wearing a dark brown sleeveless dress that ran to just above her knees, a lavender pink belt that matched her low-heel pumps, and was carrying her own grey duel disk - it decorated with a few silver-white and pink hearts on the back - in her left hand like a handbook with the stylus pen out at ready...

The three female humans would soon be chatting away, checking in on eachother's activities since last they saw one another.

"So what brings you two onto the airship? Taking a break from the Duel Carnival?"

"Pretty much. Let's just say that I got sick of all the baggage certain people have been bringing into this tourney, (glance) so Tiff here convinced me to leave it in the Lost and Found Box for a while."

"Aah, I gotcha, say no more. I totally get the feeling of wanting to ditch drama. That's part of the reason I'm up here too, so my ears can be free of my boss's yelling to try harder."

Raising a brow, Tiffany asks,

"Why? I thought you were considered one of the best journalists the station's got."

"I was...but as of late, I keep finding myself being shown up by this young photographer and his (jazz hands) 'impossibly rare pictures'."

That seemed to catch Astral's attention, recalling the dark aura he sensed around Cameron as the latter took that photo of the girls.

 _Impossibly rare?_

Yoko goes on to explain her annoyance to the listening ears, a frown of frustration forming as she did so.

"Weird thing is when the kid started out, his pictures didn't really catch alot of buzz from the local papers. It wasn't so much that they weren't good, but more like they're better for the art magazines and exhibitions, not big headline news...But then a few months ago, his style suddenly went on a major one-eighty, and now it's like, he's always there at the right place and right time to snap an action-packed or feeling-jerkin' shot."

The pinkette woman clenches her free hand into a tight fist and she groans,

"It's really pissing me off that some young upstart's stealing my thunder! I've worked hard to get where I am now in the news business, and now some shutterbug's getting the glory with a few lucky photographs? It's not fair, I tell ya!"

As Tiffany pats the other's arm with a sympathetic expression, Athena found herself going into thought.

 _Hm, a kid photographer with infamous pictures catching the eyes of big-time news..._

 _I wonder...could it be Cameron Yoko's talking about?_

"So I am not the only one suspecting possible trouble from the boy."

"Hm?"

She glances to her upper left at Astral, asking mentally through their special connection,

 _What do you mean by that?_

"Earlier, when Cameron was taking yours and Tiffany's picture, his aura had, darkened considerably."

 _Darkened?_

"Yes...in the same if similar manner to when a human becomes possessed by a Number Card."

Now that caught Athena's attention:

 _Uh!...A Number, huh?_

Nodding, Astral notes with a cross of his arms,

"It did quell to a normal energy level when he was done...but there was no mistaking the darkening desires I could sense."

 _I see...Maybe that's why I felt that weird spark._

It was the blue-skinned being's turn to form an expression of confusion.

"Pardon?"

 _Well, when mine and Cameron's hands were parting from that handshake...I felt this strange pulse of power pass from his fingertips to mine, like a hyped version of static electricity._

 _It didn't so much hurt, but...it gave me this uneasy feeling in my stomach, like something was wrong._

"Hm, I see...If we are to assume Cameron may perhaps be in possession of a Number Card, you may have sensed the Number's power when you made physical contact with the boy."

Athena's eyes widen with surprise from such a deduction.

 _Whoa, really? But how-...Wait...Is it possible because I have a decent amount of Numbers now, that I'm gaining the ability to sense other ones?_

"Theoretically, yes, but it may also be due to the deepening connection you and I share...What is concerning me at this present, is Cameron, and the distinct possibility that his so-called lucky photographs, may in fact be the doing of a Number."

 _Hm...I'm not saying you're wrong, because a part of me's wonderin' that too, but...maybe we should see some of these 'in the moment' pictures first so we know just how much danger we might be in._

"And how do we do that?"

Flashing a knowing smile, Athena shifts her focus from her silent conversation to interrupt Yoko's ranting for a question.

"Hey, Yoko."

"Hm?"

"Two questions. First, do you have any copies of these crazy pictures you're talking about? And second...is, the name of this photographer, Cameron, by any chance?"

The pinkette was slightly taken aback by the asking, but nevertheless answers accordingly, if becoming wary.

"Uh, yes, that is his name, and I do have a file of copies my boss sent me...Why? Is there something I should know?"

Meanwhile, Tiffany stiffens on alert at the mention of the old friend she and her BFF had just spoken with not too long ago.

"...Addy...what exactly are you implying?"

"I'll let you know after I see something to confirm my suspicions. Yoko, the pics?"

Clicking open the file folder section of her Duel Disk, Yoko prepares to hand the device over to Athena for her to look at...

But, then.

(BOOM, rumble)

"Whoa!" "Aah!" "Huah!"

The entire airship suddenly jerks to the tune of an explosion emanating from the left side, courtesy of a malfunctioning wing engine, as pointed out by several frightened passengers.

"Whoa, look at the wing!" "Ah!" "Oh no!"

As more outcries of fear begin to bounce off the glass walls, Tiffany grabs hold of Yoko's arm for support as she exclaims wide-eyed,

"W-What's going on; this shouldn't be happening, right?! I thought this airship was suppose to be built with the best safety checks!"

"I'm just as shocked as you are, hun, believe me!...What could've brought about this?"

The timing of this situation only intensified Athena and Astral's growing suspicions, sensing a setup.

"...This was way too well-timed..."

"Indeed...which can only mean one possibility..."

A single pulse of energy was all it took for both sets of eyes to narrow down and lock onto the source of this new dilemma, he chuckling as he emerged from a part of the panicking crowd, light purple irises glinting with danger alongside the camera in his hand...

Athena would be the one to address him, stepping forward so she and he were only a couple feet away from one another, her tone carrying a new discontent and edge.

" _Cameron_..."

"Hehnhnhn, hello again, Athena."

Tiffany and Yoko just focus into the newly bubbling confrontation as the girl with red irises goes straight to the point.

"Alright. I'm just gonna ask this once, and you better give me an honest answer if you still know what's good for ya...What did you just do to the wing, and why?"

Smirking with a bit of pride and secrecy, the young photographer replies,

"Just to clarify, I didn't do anything physically by my own two hands to the engine...rather, I accurately predicted what would happen."

"What?"

"Heh, based on that expression, I suppose the _journalist_ over there didn't give a good enough answer to how I've been able to take such special photos, did she? (Yoko growls in the background...) Hmph, I'd be happy to explain: you see, my pictures don't capture the present. (Grin) _They capture the future._ "

Athena takes in a sharp breath of surprise, as Astral mutters with narrowing irises,

"The future...?"

"As for the second half of your question, I do what I do in order to collect Number Cards...which I know you have, Athena."

"Gh! You mean-"

"That's right: you're not the only one who felt that 'static' as our hands parted from the handshake...I was a bit surprised since the cards are quite rare, and none of my 'previous opponents' have them, but hey? Why look a gift horse in the mouth?"

"So then that's why you're putting all these innocent people at risk? Just to get to me and my Numbers? You're outta your mind, Cameron!"

The bluenette just sneers at the blackette and retorts strongly,

"I'll do whatever I must to accomplish my goal: to collect all the world's Number Cards, and then the power of my future photos will be even greater, and then nothing will stop me, hehahaha!"

"Cameron!"

"Hrm?"

He pauses in his boastful laughter to focus his vision on Tiffany, who wiped away her fears of the malfunctioning airship to make room for a new feeling of anger and betrayal at her old friend's abnormal behaviour.

"Tiffany..."

"I know that the Number Card you have's probably messing with your judgement...but still, I'm severely disappointed in your actions. You used to be humble and content with your art form, even when it didn't always catch big attention...and now this? (Shakes head furiously) This is just sick; I don't even know who you are anymore! Where did the Cameron Clix I knew go?! What have you done with him?!"

Athena and Astral look at their friend with sad sympathy for her turmoil, while Yoko remarks in a dark tone while placing protective hands on Tiffany's shoulders,

"You see what your new style's done, kid? You're hurting alot of good people with your photos, Cameron. It ends, now."

"...Heh, afraid not, because it's never going to end."

Four sets of eyes widen just as they fight to steady themselves from another jerk from the troubled airship, while Cameron continues.

"I know this, because I make the future, and once it becomes the present, there's nothing even I can do."

He fwips up one of his said screenshots of 'what will be' to help add to his point, just as Athena catches a glimpse of a neon blue numeral glyph appearing on his right cheek.

 _Uh! A Number Mark...Twenty-five..._

"And soon, this particular image will prove my words...See for yourself."

The Duel Monster-possessed boy swipes the matte paper rectangle towards the girl, who catches it just as swiftly in her hand...

"You recall me taking that picture of you and Tiffany earlier, correct?"

"Yes..."

"Heh, well, unfortunately, the future developed for the two of you, and virtually everyone on this airship, will not have a very pleasant outcome."

Gritting her teeth in annoyance at Cameron's smug attitude, Athena nonetheless looks down at the image to see what he was talking about...She would then gasp with a very disturbed expression, when she sees the following: a close-up of one section of the airship in shambles after crashing into the city's downtown area...where you could see two limp, battered arms of a _certain pair of friends_ poking out from the rubble, hands clasped together...

 _Oh...my...god...!?_

Fighting the urge to hurl as her body began to tremble, Athena darts her head up almost impossibly fast with a new expression of fury and terror, her tone on the borderline of hysterical.

"...You're...you're lying. You're lying!"

"None of my glimpses into the future have been wrong. What you see, will come to pass; the first part's already in motion."

"No! I refuse to believe you're right, 'cause if so, won't you be going down with us?! How will you get your glory then?!"

"Heh, oh I already took care of that shortly after you and Tiffany left to board the airship."

Cameron takes out another picture to hold up, his smile becoming more twisted.

"I snapped a picture of myself in front of the thing to be sure, and it shows me as the sole survivor of the pending crash...And even if I hadn't, it's fair to say the one who predicts the future, shouldn't have to die because of the disasters he foretells."

"Grh, why you-!"

Having heard all that she could take, the girl with long, shaggy hair as black as ink with ends as red as a copper burn swipes out her Duel Disk to click into place, exclaiming,

"That tears it! I challenge you to a Duel, Cameron, and you will pay for your dark designs!"

The large crowd of anxious passengers aboard the malfunctioning airship starts to buzz with hushed confusion and surprise that someone was actually up a duel at a time like this...

"Addy!"

Athena whips her head over her shoulder to meet Yoko's eyes, who gives her a stern expression while saying,

"I dunno what exactly he showed you, but hope's not lost yet! I'm gonna barge my way into the cockpit and see if I can help the pilots contact the air marshals."

"Uh!...Yoko..."

"Meanwhile...just be careful, (sincere smirk) and give the shutterbug hell for weaving these twisted nightmares he calls the future."

"...Count on it."

At that, the young woman with bubblegum pink hair spins on her heels to rush out of the viewing deck for the cockpit, leaving Athena to focus back on Cameron just as he prepares to accept the challenge made to him.

"We'll see who will be paying the future's price! Hah!"

He tosses his camera into the air, and the sides extend outward to reconfigure and attach to his own Duel Disk, acting as the card holder unit...

 **Augmented Reality Vision Link Established.**

(...Cli-Flash, Cli-Flash, Cli-Flash, Cli-Flash)

"Agh, oi, cut that out! What're you doin'?!"

"The same thing I do with all of my opponents: I'm taking your photo!"

The pictures print out from the camera shortly after being captured, and Cameron grabs the four images with a snide smile.

"Here. This is what you have to look forward to, Athena. I will warn you, though, it's a bit of a spoiler."

He sends her a zoom view via the Duel Gazers, and her mouth gapes slightly, seeing herself on the ground with a gritted expression while Tiffany knelt down by her with the facial features hallmarking agonized sorrow, and her new opponent standing just in front of them with a victorious smirk while holding a card between his fingertips...!

"As you can see, victory is mine, and so is your Number Card! In fact, you may as well hand it over to me right now."

Tiffany was able to see the pictures as well, and felt her stomach form a knot at what she saw, muttering Athena's name with worry dancing in her cornflower blue irises...Meanwhile, the latter shook her own nerves away before retorting back with a glaring frown,

"Tch, do you really think I'm gonna fall for that load of predetermined bull? I've dueled against someone with a similar power to yours before, and he failed in making his visions come true. I can already guarantee this won't end any differently."

Astral's mismatched irises widen the slightest as he realizes,

 _She's talking about our battle with that fortuneteller, Fortuno, and his claims of being a psychic..._

 _It wasn't fully determined whether that power was his own, or if the Numbers he carried provided such..._

His face forms a more firm expression as he concludes,

 _Either case, Athena does make a substantial point, for until it becomes the Present...the Future, is nothing set in stone._

"(Both Duelists) Let's Duel!"

The girl with red irises makes the first call for the battle underway.

"History begins now, and I have the pen! My Draw! I'm slappin' down the first brick of my defense with a monster face-down in Defense Mode!...Then I'll back that with another card face-down, ending my turn here."

"Very well, my turn! And I'm summoning out, Camera-clops!"

This Level Four monster brought to the field by Cameron held 1400 Attack Points and harbored the appearance of a mercenary humanoid with a camera for a head. As he observed the current stance of the battlefield, Astral notes,

 _Athena placed Gogogo Golem face-down in Defense Mode. It has 1500 Defense Points._

 _The monster Cameron just played, Camera-clops, has only 1400 Attack Points._

 _...That is good news. It means Athena is safe, at least for this one round._

"I now activate the Spell Telescopic Lens from my hand! And what better place to attach a lens, then a camera?"

The photographic equipment digitizes into the AR and clicks into place with the lens of Camera-clops...

"But this doesn't mean just a better picture: it means Camera-clops gains 400 Attack Points for every card in my hand! I have four, so that's an additional 1600 Attack Points!"

At that, the monster's strength increases to 3000, but Athena maintained her neutral ground.

 _They may have a formidable power, but Golem can still dodge destruction thanks to his special ability..._

"Next from my hand, I activate the Spell Card, Negative Image Inversion! And it's especially negative for you 'cause now, I can switch one of your face-down defense monsters, into a face-up attack monster!"

Gogogo Golem's vulnerability had only just increased when Cameron adds,

"And there's another development: your Attack Points now swap out with your Defense Points!"

"Auh, no way!"

"Of course, since I used Image Inversion, I now have one less card in my hand, so Camera-clops loses 400 Attack Points...But in the big picture, I think we all know that's you who will be losing. Now, go, Camera-clops! Attack Gogogo Golem!"

Three image shots of the golem are taken, before the humanoid camera shoots an electrical blast out the extended lens for the latter's torso, destroying the monster and costing Athena 1100 of her 4000 Life Points, leaving her to go flying backwards as the total settles at 2900!

Gasps sound from the audience of this duel, mixed with Tiffany's outcry of her friend's name...before the airship rattles again with another jerked explosion from the left wing's engine, and a light haze of smoke begins to seep into the room from the ventilation systems. Coughing from a new discomfort in her lungs thanks to the newly unhealthy air, Athena rises to her feet again and calls to her friend,

"Tiff! If ya need something constructive to do, try and see if you can hack into the vent systems so we can clear the air! (Cough) Contact Cas if you need to or ask some of our fellow passengers to help!"

"How will that, (cough, cough) help anything?!"

"This haze is only gonna cause everyone to hyperventilate and pass out before the real trouble begins...The only way we're all going to make it out of this alive, is by staying calm, and working together. (Cough, cough) You get me?"

"Addy..."

Swallowing down a lump in her dry throat, Tiffany forms a brave frown and nods, before turning to the part of the crowd she was standing in front of.

"Everyone, listen up: I need your help! Is there anyone on board that's good with mechanical issues or hacking?"

...Three people, two men in their early thirties - a brunette and a blond - and one in his mid-twenties (he also a brunette), step forward.

"I am!" "So am I!"

"I know some stuff about aviary mechanics!"

"Great! You three come with me. Everyone else, get ready with whatever material you have to wave the smoke away once the vents are working again!"

Watching the girl with shiny black hair cut in a bob try and work crowd control, Cameron then turns back to Athena to jeer,

"You're both wasting your time. There's no changing what's already happening, and you better believe that there's no changing your fate, Athena! It's already been decided: you'll summon Number 39, Utopia, on turn five, then on the following turn, you'll be defeated by my Number Card! And well, heh, I don't think I need to tell you the rest, other than you and your best friend will both _meet, your, doom._ "

"Oh yeah, says what, your photos? Bullshit! It may be said that a picture's worth a thousand words...but they'll never speak the truth about what could be. That alone, is for the muse to decide, which I'll prove today by beating you in this duel!"


	36. Film Reels & Predicted Drama, Part Two

Hey everyone, second half at last!

Sorry for the longer delay; this chapter wound up requiring more research into the game than I expected. Thankfully, I had some assistance from a PM friend, who also gave me permission to use one of their fan cards featured in this chapter, called **Achacha Restoration**. Thank you, **Amber Is A Fossil** , and just so fellow Yu-Gi-Oh! story writers are aware, they are offering their services to anyone who needs ideas for cards :)

...That's it from me. On with the story!

* * *

(Clac-Clang...)

"Okay, according to the airship schematics, this should be the manual control modulator for the air vents..."

It's been a few minutes since the duel between Cameron Clix and Athena Fujina began within the malfunctioning Heartland Commemorative Airship, and while they hashed it out, Tiffany and three other passengers work to try and dissipate the smoke swelling from the engines and seeping into the observation deck. With the panel cover for the floor control box removed, the strange quartet start pulling out wired panels and began tweaking with the circuitry, determined to bring even just a little calm and order for the other panicking people...

Peering up from the one technological layer she was tinkering with to glance at the Duel Monster battle, the girl with cornflower blue irises and black bobbed hair pleads mentally while biting her lip nervously,

 _Please be careful, Addy, and take Cameron down...for his own good._

Meanwhile, back on the new battlefield, Athena starts her next turn, further disregarding her opponent's predictions of the win-lose outcome.

"Your pics don't scare me at all, Camera Boy! I'll disprove your power if it's the last thing I do!"

 _And hopefully, Tiff and Yoko will find a way to land this metal death trap without any sacrifice of life..._

"I Draw!"

Red irises gaze at the drawn card:

 _Bye-Bye Damage, eh? Hm...okay, let's try this._

"First, let's bring another ally to the field. I choose, Achacha Archer, which is bad news for you since his special ability allows me to deal 500 points of damage after a successful summon!"

The Level Three archer with the fiery spirit readies a flaming arrow...

"Release!"

He fulfills Athena's request, and the arrowhead whizzes through the air to meet its bullseye, aka Cameron's torso, meaning his Life Points would decrease to 3500. Smirking, the girl with long, shaggy black hair tipped copper red jeers,

"Ha! That's what you get for being overconfident!"

But to her surprise, the boy with lilac purple irises chuckles before retorting back with a sneering smile,

"It's funny, I should be the one telling you not to get cocky."

"What're you talking about?"

"You see, the photos I took of you before we started are alot more accurate then they may have looked..."

He holds up one said image:

"Take this one for example, having cleverly predicted you playing Achacha Archer, and then place the card Bye-Bye Damage right afterward. See the proof?"

A zoom-in screen is sent for Athena's gazer, and her red irises widen slightly...before settling into a neutral expression.

"So?"

While Cameron forms a faint expression of disbelief from the lack of fear in his opponent, Astral obverses,

 _The effect of the card Bye-Bye Damage Trap Card Athena has in her hand, keeps a monster that she has on her field from being destroyed when attacked._

 _Athena would still take damage like she normally would, but Cameron would then be dealt double damage..._

 _It would have been a great play, but since Cameron somehow saw it coming..._

Wiping away the disappointment in not sending a shiver of worry with a new sneer, the boy with aqua blue hair replies back to the stoic girl,

" _So_ then, just play it! You know it's your only move!"

Raising a single brow, Athena quirks back calmly,

"Is it? Let's double-check that, shall we? (Peers over cards) Hmm..."

 _Hey...there is that card...If I time it out correctly...Yeah. Yeah, that'll work!_

"I place two cards face-down, and end my turn!"

"What?! Two?!"

Astral was just as surprised by the play, and asks the girl through their telepathic connection,

 _Athena, what did you do?_

 _You'll see in a minute. Trust me, I know what I'm doing...I said I was going to disprove Cameron's predictions, and I meant it._

 _...I do hope so, for if we cannot undermine his future photographs, that may have been your last play._

The airship jerks again, causing everyone to stumble a little and in some cases let out a few frightened yelps...

We cut briefly into the cockpit where Yoko was currently, and as she steadies herself from the latest shake, she asks one of the pilots,

"Isn't there some way to get some control over this thing?"

"We're doing our best, ma'am, but with both engines shot...it'll be a miracle if we can land this thing without too big of a crash. Galen, have you contacted the air marshals?"

The co-pilot replies with a bit of nerves in his own voice,

"I did, but the radio signal keeps jamming. I can't get a clear message to ground control!"

"Well keep trying, man! People's lives are at risk!"

The young woman with bubblegum pink hair makes her way to crouch by the pilot having communication troubles.

"Here, lemme give you a hand. The rattling may be causing a system glitch."

 _Come on...This can't be where things end. I won't allow it..._

Returning to the observation deck, Cameron forms a frown of confusion from his opponent's play that contradicted his photographic predictions.

 _How can this be? She should've just set the one card face-down, not two..._

 _Mph, no matter. One of those cards has to be Bye-Bye Damage...She's still technically playing along with what the future foretold._

"My turn! Draw!"

Astral warns his friend,

"Look out for that Cameraclops, Athena. Since it is equipped with Telescopic Lens, it gains 400 points for every card in Cameron's hand. That is 3000 total in Attack Points."

"Right, which'll mean 1800 points of damage if that attack connects...But that's why I played those two face-downs, so I can be ready for it."

The being with blue skin hms at Athena's confidence, but looks toward the field wondering,

 _Yes, but just what exactly do you have planned...and will Cameron be caught off-guard?_

"Heheh, I think I'll play the Spell Card Night Beam right about now!"

"Dare I ask what that does?"

"Basically, I can pick one of your face-downs and destroy it! Let's see...which one should I choose?...I think I'll pick the one, in the middle!"

The face-down flips face-up to reveal Bye-Bye Damage...

"Thought you'd do something like that."

"Huh?!"

Smirking smartly, Athena then calls,

"Which is why I'm countering with another Trap I laid down, Fairy Wind!"

Hearing the name of that specific card, Tiffany's head snaps up to attention with a small gasp.

 _I know that card! That's the one I gave Addy this morning before we left her place..._

Flashback

 _We go back to about half an hour before breakfast in the Fujina Household, when the girls were finishing getting ready for the second day of the World Duel Carnival..._

 _As she tugged her baby blue vest on, a thought came to Tiffany's head for how she could contribute a helping hand to her friend's goals in this city-wide tournament._

 _"Hey, Addy. Think you can make room in your deck for one more card?"_

 _Looking up from the cards spread onto her bed, the other young teen shrugs with a,_

 _"Mm, maybe...Whadda ya have in mind?"_

 _Reaching into her grey backpack decorated with pink hearts, Tiffany slips a Duel Monsters card out of her own deck she seldom uses, before walking over to her friend to present it._

 _"Here. Take this one. I think it could be really helpful."_

 _Athena takes the card from her friend to see for herself, Astral hovering over her shoulder so he could look as well._

 _"Hm..."_

 _"Fairy Wind?"_

 _"Yeah! It's a card that can be really useful when your opponent tries to one-up you with a Spell or Trap. (Sheepish smile) O-Or at least, I think it's useful..."  
_

 _Seeing the modest uncertainty in her friend's smile made something in Athena's heart go out to the other...She'd then smile a little herself and reply back,_

 _"Well this does look like a good card...one that I can definitely use."_

 _Tiffany's eyes sparked with an eagerness at that remark._

 _"Hah! Seriously?"_

 _"Heheh, seriously seriously."_

 _The girl with red irises tucks the Fairy Wind Card beside one of her monsters laid atop the bed cover, adding,_

 _"Not sure when I'll be able to use it, mind you, but you never know."_

End of Flashback

Tiffany found herself smiling as the memory came to a close, feeling a touch more confident that her friend would win this battle.

 _Athena..._

Speaking of said duelist, we cut back to the AR battlefield as she gave a quick explanation about her latest move.

"Lemme give you the scoop on Fairy Wind: this Trap allows me to destroy all other face-up Spell or Trap Cards on the field, no matter whose side that may be...Which means your Night Beam and my Bye-Bye Damage are gone, and we both take damage equal to the number of cards destroyed by 300."

"What?!"

Watching as her Trap Card releases two gusts of misty, sparkling wind streaming side by side from the feet of half a dozen purple-schemed fairies like a comet with two tails, Athena thinks to herself,

 _It's a little risky, but at least this way he's still taking damage..._

The creatures split into two groups of three, taking a magical wind stream each to flutter around the targeted Spell and Trap Cards, gradually going faster and faster until they formed into whirlwinds that destroyed the cards! The fairies shoot out from the top, before directing each tornado to go crashing against the duelists who played the Spell and Trap, forcing them to cringe back and shield themselves from the other half of this card's ability. In which case, Cameron's Life Points would then drop to 2900, while Athena's total decreased to 2300...

The latter recovers first with a little grin despite the small sacrifice on her part and quirks,

"So much for your future photos, eh, Cam? Looks like they missed a few details. (Smirk) Or maybe they're just acting like their photographer: too cocky to analyze every possible variable."

"Grh, why you-!"

While Cameron fumes over the failure of his prediction, Astral comments about Athena's choice of strategy.

"That was quite an interesting counter you chose...but rather risky. Are you sure it was worthwhile to lose 600 Life Points over proving a point?"

"Very sure. Every action has the potential for a good or bad reaction...While it's true that I could have just rolled with the punch of losing Bye-Bye Damage...I also didn't wanna make it easy for Cameron to get by in this duel. That's why I played Fairy Wind, to make that much clear."

"I see."

Looking up to see the furious expression on their opponent's face, Astral says to his human partner,

"Well, it looks like your plan worked based on the amount of anger his face is displaying right now."

"Working, you mean."

He peers back at Athena with an expression of confusion, and she in turn whispers with a sneaky smile,

"There's more where that came from, trust me."

Red irises then focus back ahead as the owner of those orbs then calls,

"Well? Are ya done gawking or what? Come on, show me what else you got this turn, Cameron...or was that your biggest move?"

"Rrrrh...you'll regret messing with my future predictions! I summon out Scandal Snapper!"

The next monster to come ramming onto the field in a screech of tires, was Level Four with 700 Attack Points and held the appearance of a humanoid motorcycle with a camera in their hand.

"Unfortunately, since I have two fewer cards in my hand, Cameraclops loses 800 of its Attack Points."

So now that Level Four monster housed 2200 Attack Points...Cameron wasn't worried, though.

"But that's still plenty to pack a punch, or in this case, a photo! Cameraclops: attack Achacha Archer!"

One flash and bang later, the archer would be gone in an explosion of pixels, leaving their wielder to wince with gritted teeth as her Life Points dropped down to 1300.

"And now, get ready for your close-up, 'cause Scandal Snapper's attacking you directly!"

Bright flashes from the monster's camera shutter blind Athena, before she would find herself being rammed backwards in a slide to the floor, causing a few passengers of the airship to scramble to the sides to dodge!...Thankfully, she had another card on the field ready for such an attack, which she'd call on as soon as she stood up to her feet again.

"Hah, hah...I activate my other Trap, Achacha Restoration!"

Athena's other lone face-down on the right flips upward to reveal a scene with Achacha Archer's fist holding up a fire arrow against a smoky maroon and brown background.

"When an Achacha monster is destroyed in battle, I can use this trap to revive them back from the Graveyard."

The hex portal opens up in the ground, allowing Achacha Archer to pixelize back onto the field like he was never taken out!

"Once more, I gain Life Points equal to that monster's Attack Points!"

In which case, 1200 would be added to Athena's weak 600 Life Points, bringing it up to a stronger 1800...  
Astral was quite impressed by the level of strategy that the teenage girl was displaying in this match.

 _Now that, was smart counter play...Athena is really beginning to grow as a duelist._

 _(Slight smile) And she certainly never disappoints in using surprise to its full potential._

He focuses back on his friend's battle as she calls her opponent out on the power he possesses thanks to Number 25.

"You're starting to see it now, aren't you, Cameron? Your pictures are only capturing part of the story, not the finer details. They don't get to tell how each chapter is written."

Clenching his free hand into a knuckle-cracking fist, said boy with the light purple irises shouts back as that dark purple/red aura flares around his body,

"This isn't over yet! Scandal Snapper still has its special ability! See, I still dealt you damage, so its Level revs up by two, then it switches from Attack Mode to Defense Mode!"

So now his monster was a Level Six instead of Four...

"Next up, I'm activating the Spell XYZ Frame from my hand! And that means on your next turn, you're not aloud to attack with a non-XYZ monster!"

Grinning sardonically, Cameron jeers,

"Let's see you try to outmaneuver my picture-perfect moves now...Oh, and speaking of pictures, we've finally reached the fifth turn."

He holds up an image of Number 39: Utopia getting blasted with a beam of light.

"And as I showed you before, it'll be on that fifth turn of yours, that you'll summon Utopia and then, you'll lose in the sixth!"

Athena's POV

 _There he goes again, trying to pre-plan my moves in advance..._

 _Alright. It's time to hit his delusions hard with some reality.  
_

"My turn. I Draw!"

"Lemme guess: you drew Gogogo Giant!"

My teeth clench in annoyance as he correctly states my latest card, which encourages him to go further by saying,

"And since that's the only monster currently in your hand, you'll summon it. That'll allow you to summon Gogogo Golem from your Graveyard! At which point, you'll have two Level Four monsters, and you'll Overlay them to summon out Utopia, as my photos foretold!"

Rolling my eyes, I shake my head while grumbling to myself,

"Foretold this, predicted that. _Honestly_ , and I thought Fortuno's psychic crap was annoying..."

"Go on, Athena. Play Utopia! It's your destiny!"

Now that, definitely tweaked me the wrong way, and I bark back in a barely contained flare of fury,

"Don't you go using that word destiny around me like you're God or somethin'! That's just going way too far!"

(...Ka-boom)

"Gah!"

If my mood hadn't been pushed enough already, it would be now when the second wing's engine suddenly blew up and caught fire, causing everyone to scream while also providing a new wave of smoke to mix in! Coughing in irritation from the thicker, polluted air seeping into my lungs more strongly than earlier, I cry out,

"Everyone! Stay calm and duck down away from the smoke!"

Tiffany then comes in through my gazer's chat connection to check up on me.

 _"Addy! Are you, (cough), alright?!"_

"Hanging in there. How's it goin' with the air vents; any luck with the reverse flow?"

 _"Still working on it. There's alot more circuit panels then we anticipated, and we're (cough, cough) having trouble discerning which ones belong to which section of the airship."_

"What have you labelled so far?"

 _"Uhm...We found the one for the cockpit..."_

"Hm...Okay, that's a start. Yoko and the pilots will need cleaner air more than we do right now...See if one or two of you can get that one working, confirm (cough) with Yoko, while another one or two keep searching for the vent controls belonging to the observation deck."

 _"Sounds like a plan...Thanks. And, Addy?"_

"Yeah?"

 _"...We're gonna get through this, right?"_

It broke my heart a little to hear how uncertain my bestie was, so I gave her my best reassuring smile and nod back,

"Yeah...no doubt...We're gonna make it, Tiff, and if not-(cough), feel free to bitch-slap me when we hit Cloud 9."

That made her giggle the slightest through the tiny tears prickling in the corners of her eyes, and she nods with a light 'mhm', before ending the chat...

"Your leadership in this crisis is doing well to keep an air of calm, Athena."

I turn my head to Astral's direction and quirk back through that telepathic link,

 _Leadership? I dunno about that. I just don't want anyone, least of all Tiffany to go into a really unhelpful panic attack._

"Yet your way of directing everyone, is that of a leader."

I was a bit taken aback by his insistence on the matter...before finding myself coughing out a chuckle and muttering internally,

 _Well, if I am showing signs of being a leader, I have a number of good influences to thank for that...including you._

"Uh!...Me?"

 _Yes you, smart guy. Your way of conveying strategies in our duels, kind-a makes you the leading mind...and no, I'm not saying that again._

 _It was annoying in the beginning of our relationship...but now..._

My lips turn upward to form a very rare, sincere smile as I finish,

 _Now I couldn't have asked for a better partner than you._

He looked really taken aback by statement...and quite frankly, so was I, looking away from him suddenly to shake my head in slight disbelief for this weird confession of...I wanna say affection, but not like 'lovely' affection. More like super close comrades.

 _Whoa, girl...where'd that come from?_

"Athena...I, do not know what to say..."

Mumbling a 'same here', I try to steer this conversation back on course with more important things.

 _Ahem, a-anyway, speaking of leading...Cameron's sure leading on with his so-called future photos._

 _I expected my little spins on what he was expecting would throw him off-course in some way, but, he's still acting like they're the guideline that has to be followed to the letter._

Humming in thought (possibly as grateful as I was for a distraction from that awkward moment between us...), Astral mutters,

"Yes, I have been noticing that as well...Perhaps it would be beneficial to learn a little more about where this power of his came from."

 _Yeah, like, where'd he even get the Number in the first place...?_

I decide to pop that question aloud:

"Oi, Camera Boy, answer me somethin', would ya?...How exactly did you get your hands on Number 25?"

Cameron's eyes widen the slightest at my ability to name the card's numeral without him telling me...before obliging me with a more neutral frown.

"There's not much to tell. This card enables me to make any thought a reality simply by thinking and snapping."

"So that would mean your images are no more than your version of the future, a sad attempt to put puppet strings on what can't be controlled."

"Grh, don't act as if you know me!...I've always wanted to make the front page, so I would spend hours dreaming up once-in-a-lifetime shots, like this airship bursting into flames, but I was never in the right place in the right time. It seemed that was the story of my life, at least until that day."

I urge,

"That, day?"

He smirks a bit insanely and explains,

"The day my Number Card appeared! Suddenly, everything changed! I remember it all so clearly: I was taking silly little photos, and then, I saw it. I approached it, and cautiously picked it up. It felt like it was supposed to be mine. The card's power revealed itself to me immediately...and that's when I realized, that the story of my life had been rewritten!"

I clicked my tongue in disgust as I mentally remarked,

 _Yeah, rewritten...I know how that feels, and in a much worse way then he'll ever experience._

"With the supernatural power that this card gave to me, I arranged for those once-in-a-lifetime moments to become realities, and I can only imagine that with each new Number I acquire, my power will grow!"

"Tch, you've clearly allowed that Number to mess with your mentality with that kind of talk...Mind you, that seems to be the only tone this whole carnival's broadcasting: violence and cruel drama down every corner."

I look down sadly and add more to myself,

"It's like, people are forgetting what it really means to play Duel Monsters...or how to live without life restraining you."

"Well that all really depends on what you believe it means."

Looking back up, Cameron then says to me with a smug expression,

"You see, my Number's also given me the power to influence people's perceptions of reality."

These were yet another set of words to bristle me, and I retort back,

"Yeah? Well you're not influencing my perceptions, and I'm gonna end your little games or die trying!"

"Well then by all means, go ahead and try to stop me!...But let's be honest: you know you won't be able to. Even with those little tricks, you saw the picture for yourself. You've already lost!"

"Bullshit! You might've suckered other poor souls into believing they have no other routes, but incase you haven't been paying attention, you haven't suckered me into walking onto a tightrope blind!"

 _All those pics are really worth to me...is a guideline to how I'm gonna win._

"Enough of this stalling! I summon out, Gogogo Giant!"

My Level Four golem with 2000 Attack Points rises to the field in a whirlwind of air...

"That's right, just like I said. And now, go ahead and activate its special ability!"

"...No."

"Say what?!"

I grab the next card in my hand to play in my plan to completely overthrow Cameron's crazy predictions.

"What I will do is activate the Equip Spell, Mist Body!"

Gogogo Giant's form is wrapped in a cloud of mist that distorts his appearance to have an almost translucent quality...

"Now my giant cannot be destroyed in battle...Next, I place one card face-down, and end my turn here."

 _Astral...how'm I doin' so far?_

 _You are doing well, Athena. Just remember to be ready to play that Trap when the time is right._

I nod firmly, just as my opponent gets extremely touchy about the lack of order.

"No...impossible...Utopia! You were suppose to play it! See for yourself: my pictures never lie!"

"Maybe not to you."

Cameron's raging rant pauses there at my interjection, and I strongly in a blunt tone,

"Those are your photos, right, your imagination trying to determine what life's gonna give you? Wake up and smell the daisies, dude: those future predictions are only a possibility, not a finality! The only way either of us are gonna be sure about how this duel will end, is by playing, so quit preaching what you don't know and move it along!"

"Fiiiine, Athena! Here we go! I Draw! First I summon this card. Here, it, comes! Paparazzi Pest!"

This monster was a Level Two with 1000 Attack Points, and looked like a giant mosquito with a camera for a head...

"Now I'll activate it's special ability! I tribute Paparazzi Pest to Cameraclops to increase its Level by two!"

 _I don't need future-predicting photos to tell me what's coming next..._

"I overlay Level Six Cameraclops and Scandal Snapper, so I can build the Overlay Network! I XYZ Summon, Number 25: Force Focus!"

It started out as an emblem symbolizing a camera lens, before twisting and reconfigurating into a full-blown movie film camera with gun attachments at the bottom, Rank Six and with a strong 2800!

 _Okay, don't panic...Just gotta pray he heads after Achacha Archer and not Gogogo Giant..._

Thankfully, Cameron was too blinded by his anger and desires to fully pay attention to the golden opportunity of taking a chunk out of my Life Points.

"Now go, Force Focus: Destroy Achacha Archer, with Projection of Pain!"

"I activate my Trap, Half Shield!"

My card flips face-up, and the heart with contrasting sides - the left a shadowy black with gold embellishments while the right was a liquid clear blue - projects outward to manifest in front of Archer, staving off most of Force Focus's attack.

"Now the damage dealt to me by your Number's cut in half!"

So instead of losing 1600 Life Points, I'd only lose 800, bringing my total down to 1000...

"Aaagh, no way! How did you-?!"

"To explain how I managed to ignore your 'script' for how I should think would be wasted on you."

Astral nodded in agreement with me, noting,

"Now I couldn't be anymore certain, that these future photos, are not for real. The only reason they worked before, was because Cameron was so good at convincing people they were. Duelists thought that they had no choice, so they would subconsciously behave in a matter, that would make the images come true..."

Smiling slightly at me, he comments in a manner that for him would be considered joking,

"Thankfully, your behaviour is as spontaneous and unpredictable as they come."

Smirking a bit, I banter back,

"Heh, very funny...but you're not wrong. As much as I respect some sets of rules, like in this game, I hate following order and expectations all the time. It's boring and constricting."

"Yes, so you've displayed many times...Now then."

We focus back in front of us as towards the battlefield.

"The game is yours, Athena, so win this duel."

"Consider it done."

Meanwhile, it looks like Cameron's finally allowing reality to come crashing in like a wrecking ball...Problem was, I think Number 25 may have had a hold on his heart long enough that there was a bit more 'damage' than 'damage control' going on for him.

"No way...These pics...I know they're real...! They're the future!"

All I could do was shake my head in a cynical kind of pity, for as much as this wasn't entirely his fault, at the same time, he allowed things to go too far.

"Just give it up, Cameron. The only future that's real is how seriously screwed up your own perception of reality is gonna be if you continue to hold onto your delusions...You've created a personal doomsday and don't even know it."

"N-No...No! I can, I can still-"

I interrupt his stammering before he started another pointless spat.

"You can do nothing but accept defeat in this duel...which I'm praying won't be yours or my last one."

 _He was right about one thing: once it's the present, you can't change the future..._

 _This duel's the only thing I can interfere with. The rest is up to Tiffany and Yoko._

"Either way, I'm not holding back! It's my turn, and I Draw! First, I'm summoning Overlay Owl!"

My Level Four white owl in the yellow vest and red cape with 800 Attack Points rises to the field with a 'hoo, hoo', carrying his wooden staff in his right wing.

"And now that he's here to join in on the action, I'm activating his special ability!"

He gleams his yellow irises my way, and my Life Points drop to 400.

"By paying 600 of my Life Points, I'm able to send one of your monster's Overlay Units to the Graveyard!"

"Not gonna happen! I'll simply use another Overlay Unit to negate your owl's special ability!"

"Ye~ah, see, there's a little problem with that plan."

I hold up the last card in my hand with a smirk:

"Something I'd like to call the Spell, Space Cyclone, which allows me to get rid of one Overlay Unit from an XYZ Monster! And since Force Focus is _currently the only XYZ Monster with Overlay Units_...so long, sucker!"

A tornado with asteroid debris spinning inside comes whirling onto the field, and knocks right into Number 25 to blow their last Overlay Unit away for the Graveyard, much to Cameron's shock.

"What?! Noooo!"

I just chuckle at his dismay while thinking to myself,

 _And I have my mysterious donator to thank for this card..._

 _(Flash)_

 _See, at around five-thirty in the morning, an hour before Tiff would've woken up, I had just rose out of bed to start the day...when I saw something fly past my bedroom window._

 _"Huh?"_

 _...Hurrying outside (and forgetting that I was wearing my salmon red tank top pajama dress and no shoes), I stop at around the point where that large shape took off from, but found nothing...except an envelope._

 _"What, the...?"_

 _Curious, and a bit cautious, I move to pick it up while grumbling a bit tiredly,_

 _"God, if this is Flip pulling another prank, I'm gonna...Huh."_

 _Oddly enough, it was just the Trap Card, and nothing else. No message, no name written on the back on the envelope, nothing that could tell me where the card came from..._

 _And yet as I looked up towards where the shadow flew off from...I found myself smiling the tiniest bit._

 _"Heh...Guess I better find a way to add this into my deck..."_

 _(Flash)_

 _I already have a hunch to whom that might've been...but I'll thank 'im at a later time, after I win this duel._

"Well, seeing as you can't do anything but gawk, I'll keep goin' with my turn. (Holds out hand) I overlay Level Four Gogogo Giant, and Overlay Owl, to create the Overlay Network! Here's where that one detail of your pics gets it right!...I XYZ Summon, Number 39: Utopia!"

And my signature Number comes swooping up onto the field...which was around the moment when Tiffany and those citizen helpers of hers finally got the air vent reverse for this room working! One simultaneous suction from all the vents surrounding us was all it took, before we could all breathe a little easier, myself sighing in relief with the rest of my fellow passengers.

 _Haaah, that's better..._

My bestie cheers the good news through the AR Chat:

 _"Addy, Addy, we did it; we got the reverse working for here, and in the cockpit! The pilots and Yoko are having a better time concentrating on a game plan for an emergency landing. It won't be easy...but they're a little more confident they can do it without too much damage to the city."_

"That's great to hear, Tiff, really great...Good job, and hang tight. We're gonna beat this sitch."

 _"I know we are. I feel, so much more hopeful, a-and I'm not even sure if it's just from accomplishing the job, or...like, someone heard our prayers for a turnaround. I dunno, does that sound crazy?"_

...I look up at Utopia...and he turns his head to meet my eyes with his, making me smile and reply to my friend,

"No...No, it's not crazy at all."

 _You heard us, didn't you, big guy? You heard us...and answered the call for a new hope..._

"At last, Utopia!"

I snap out of my sentimentality to look over at Cameron with a raised brow, he more, excited by my summon than I would think an opponent ought'a be.

"The monster I've been hoping Athena would bring out! The monster that Force Focus will destroy, on my next turn!"

I jeer back,

"In your dreams," as Astral urges me,

"End this now, Athena!"

"You got it! Crunch time, Utopia!...Go, Chaos XYZ Evolution! Here's something that no one can ever predict!...Rise up, Chaos Number 39: Utopia Ray!"

One drop down the rabbit hole that was the Overlay Network's vortex and back again was all it took, before we'd all pay witness to my Number's more vamped form...The audience was certainly captivated, gasps and murmurs of awe humming in the air to distract us from the real-life situation, while Cameron was on the verge of a panic attack.

"What's happening?!"

"Your delusions are shattering like a mirror, that's what! I now activate Utopia Ray's ability! For every Overlay Unit used, my monster gains 500 Attack Points, while yours loses 1000 for each one. Go, Overlay Charge!"

Quick as an eyelash bat, Utopia Ray was standing strong with 4000 Attack Points, while Force Focus lost all power.

"No way...This isn't happening...!"

"Still not convinced? Maybe this next strike will...Utopia Ray, take out Force Focus with Rising Sun Chaos Slash!"

(Slash, slash...SLASH)

Three strokes of the swords later, Number 25 was busted beyond repair, leaving Cameron to go flying back from the impact as the last of his Life Points tumbled to zero...

"Addy!"

I turn around just as I pull off my Duel Gazer to face Tiffany, the AR World fading away as she ran over to me.

"Tiff..."

"You beat him...Did Astral get the Number?"

I glance over and saw a glowing card shape in my other friend's hand, telling me what I needed to know in an instant.

"Yeah. It's no longer in Cameron's hands...Still, beating him and Force Focus doesn't change much of the problem."

We both peer at the smoking engines with solemn expressions, feeling a faint rise of dread wrack our bones...

No POV

The girls quickly decide that standing around doing nothing except allowing their emotions to get the better of them was a terrible way of walking away from this minor victory, so they would hurry out of the passenger observation deck for the cockpit to join Yoko and the co-pilots, Astral trailing behind them...

"Yoko!"

Said young woman wearing the brown sleeveless dress turns around from the controls to see her young friends settling in through the entrance.

"Athena, Tiffany...I'm guessing Cameron's been taken care of?"

The former addressed nods in confirmation:

"Yeah, I knocked him flat. He's currently laying unconscious and being kept an eye on by one of Tiff's helpers...How's it goin' in here?"

One of the pilots, Galen, replies regrettably as he and his partner click several buttons and switches on the console,

"Not as well as we'd like. With both engines shot, our only hope is an emergency landing on the highway below us. That's if we can steady this craft."

The other man behind the wheel adds,

"The silver lining is that we finally got a message through to the air marshals, they alerted the police, and they already called an immediate evacuation...At this point, however, all we can do, is prepare ourselves for what may come."

The other three (or four, depending on how you look at it) nod in understanding, knowing that the line between a near-miss and total disaster was dangerously thin this hour...

Soon enough, the commemorative airship was rattling in a fight for balance, as both pilots tug back the wheels sharply, while Yoko, Athena and Tiffany held onto the sides of the cockpit's entrance/exit to brace themselves, the latter two females gripping eachother's free hands tightly...in a very similar fashion to what Astral recalled from that horrible future photograph taken by the possessed Cameron before anyone boarded the craft...

His mismatched silver-white and gold irises close shut, he too praying for a miracle.

 _Please...don't let this be the end..._

"Look!"

He and the other three snap their eyes open to Galen's exclaim, he adding as he pointed to one of the instrument monitors,

"There's an unidentified aircraft approaching the airship fast! It came outta nowhere!"

The other mutters in disbelief,

"Who on earth would be crazy enough to...Uh! They're circling overtop us!"

...A figure blurs overhead the higher windows of the cockpit, one that Athena would recognize from much earlier today.

 _Uh! No...It couldn't be...!_

(...SHATTER)

"Agh!"

She and everyone else would then shield themselves from broken glass as part of the figure comes crashing in from the front!

...And that someone, would be none other than,

"Kite!"

The older teen with blond/teal hair steals a very quick glance at Athena upon her call, before straightening up and spinning around to call outside,

"Now, Orbital! Full Power!"

The robot unit, he positioned at the bottom of the airship's nose, calls back,

"Y-You got it!"

He then activates the jet engines in his arms that are used in his glider form, using the momentum from the fire power to act as a makeshift emergency break, straightening the airship some as it goes sliding against the raised highway hard...and stopping just as the tip of the nose teeters off the edge of the next fork in the road!

...

Soon enough, everyone was escorted off the large transport by emergency services, including Tiffany and Yoko who chose to carry down the still unconscious Cameron with an arm wrapped around each of their shoulders and one of their own around his waist.

"All this trouble just to get some recognition and fame...Remind me to never go into Journalism."

"Heh, yeah, it's a rather rocky career some days, but when you actually put in the hard work to climb up, it can be worthwhile. That's why I do what I do..."

Glancing down at the boy in her arms, Yoko found herself forming an expression of pity.

 _Now that I've witnessed his struggles for my own eyes...I almost feel kind-a bad for the kid._

 _He's a talent for sure, but he took a very wrong route to try and reach the top..._

 _Someone should help him get back on course, do things the right way...and maybe...maybe I could be his mentor._

Nodding to herself with a smile and tucking the new goal away in the back of her mind for now, she then quirks to Tiffany with a wry and somewhat nervous smirk,

"Er, btw, don't tell Terry I was on the airship, or he's gonna have kittens."

Sweatdropping with a chagrin, the younger replies,

"Ah-heheh, right. Mum's the word..."

Athena would exit down from an appointed escalator behind them, sucking in a cleansing breath of relief as her feet touched the non-flying surface again.

"Man, what a ride. So much for escaping drama..."

She then felt a small smirk form on her face, and turned around to call up at the 'hero of the hour' who was standing atop the airship.

"Yo, Kite!"

His steel grey irises peer down her direction, and she says to him,

"Nice timing with Orbital back there!...But how'd you know where we'd be?"

"Need you ask? The live feed was broadcasted all over the city."

"Right, right...By the by."

The girl with long, shaggy black hair tipped copper red then pulls out the Space Cyclone Spell Card from her deck to hold up with a knowing smile.

"Don't think I need more than one guess to tell me who sent this my way early this morning...Any ideas to why, though?"

"...Why are you asking me?"

"(Shrug) I dunno. You're a smart guy...So...?"

...A strange, unreadable expression forms on Kite's face, before he turns away from those red irises while tching,

"I have no idea what you're taking about...See you in the finals if you can make it there."

With that, the blond takes off for the air with Orbital's glider form, leaving Athena to shake her head with a quiet chuckle under her breath.

 _Sure thing, Kite...and while I dunno why you did what you did as of yet, I thank you nonetheless._

Looking down at the card between her fingers, she quirks with a small smile,

 _Maybe, just maybe...this is a sign that he's thinking about my offer from a few days ago..._

"So you survived the crash, did'ja?"

Athena would then stiffen like a two-by-four to the sound of the rough-cut young male voice, and spun on her heel with a defensive growl, directing a new glare towards the source casually leaning his right side against a lamppost.

" _You_...I guess this explains why I felt daggers in the back of my skull before I got on the airship."

"Keh, nice choice of metaphor. I am more a dagger kind-of guy."

Fighting to stay calm and not cause a scene, Athena asks the other,

"What're you doin' here, Trilos? Stalking me?"

Astral floats closer to the girl's side in a protective manner, his own eyes set in a glare towards the teenager with short, spiky dark green hair tipped an inky black.

 _What does he want?_

"Ha, I wouldn't exactly call it stalking, per say. Just happened to spot ya with that little gal pal of yours earlier near the river, and decided t' see if I could make ya jerk a little by playing shadow. (Smirk) And based on your reaction, looks like it worked."

Athena makes a sound of discontent, her fingers inching towards her Duel Monster Deck, much to her enemy's amusement.

"Heheheh, come on, don't be so hasty. Believe it or not, I'm not here lookin' for a fight...not yet."

Moving away from the street pole until he was only standing a couple feet away from Athena, Trilos quirks with a gleam in his burnt orange irises,

"I'm more into the idea fly-boy mentioned before he took off: save the real action for the finals...And who knows? Maybe I'll crush 'im before I do the same to you."

"You leave Kite out of this. This business is strictly between you and me; there doesn't have to be any crossfire casualties."

"Hah, (shakes head) Berserker, Berserker...don't you know me at all?"

Trilos forms a mean little grin and states,

" _Anyone_ , who stands in my way, _gets taken out_ , plain and simple."

"Rgh..."

"I'll leave ya to think on that...but I wouldn't let your guard fall too far down."

The middle-teen adds ominously over his shoulder as he disappears into the crowd,

"For you never know who could be watching... _waiting_..."

...Once he was gone, Athena relaxes her stance, but not the growing unease in her system.

"Damn it...he's getting bolder in making his appearances...That's not good at all."

 _His confidence is growing...which means he's gonna strike soon, and strike hard._

 _Question is...when?_


	37. Two Battles, One Mind

Bright streams of the sun's rays come shining down the grounds of Heartland during a new afternoon hour, and focus turns down an alleyway in the more building-congested part of the city, where we see a familiar soot redheaded elder teen taking on a random contender of the World Duel Carnival.

"Slam 'em, Hammer Bounzer! Take that duelist down!"

Excitement danced within his purple irises - his left one gold yellow thanks to the duel gazer tattoo - as his hammer-handed monster with the appearance of a rabid hyena goes charging forward, releasing a wave of energy from one opposing arm to go cutting through the ground, and hit the poor unsuspecting teen with spiky brown hair dead-on.

"Uuuaaaaaaahhhhh!"

They go flying to the ground on their side hard...but Nistro was far from done.

"Get up! I'm not finished with you yet!"

The younger male shakily rises onto his feet, and begs for mercy from the older.

"I-I'll never cheat in another duel again, Nistro! I-I learned my lesson; please, lemme go!"

"Not 'til you pay, punk, in full!"

"That's enough, Nistro. Back off."

He grits his teeth and glances behind himself at Dextra, who was also present for this match, her left milk chocolate iris a light green shade thanks to her purple duel gazer tattoo that contrasted her partner's burgundy.

"Don't forget about our real mission, which is to track down Number Cards."

Growling, the redhead heeds the young woman's words and turns to face the younger brunette while stating with a bite of reluctance,

"You're getting off easy, but don't let me see your face in Heartland City!"

Nodding his head frantically, the duelist spins on his heel and makes a break for it.

"Pathetic slime..."

...Yet, unbeknownst to the pair, the fear reflected by that brunette was actually a ruse, for he was a part of a certain gang member's group acting as an inside spy to get a scope for what his boss should watch out for as the tourney progressed!

Once he was sure he was far away enough from that alley, the brunette catches his breath, hmphs a bit more calmly, and slips off the plain, purple button-up shirt he was wearing, revealing a white tank top with a black hole symbol plastered in the middle. Tying the shirt around his waist, the kid then slips a pair of black hoop earrings out of his black pants pocket to fasten on his right ear, then a single, spiky fingerless glove on his left hand.

"Man...I always get stuck with the dumb acting jobs. (Wry smirk) But then again, I guess someone's gotta do it."

Now that he was back in his more regular attire, the brunette pulls out his duel gazer to contact his leader.

(Riiing, riiing-beep)

 _"What's up, Spear?"_

"I just got knocked out of the tourney, boss, by that flunky pair of Heartland's. They're getting wiser to cheaters and dirty players...almost too wise. I think someone tipped them off about you."

 _"That right? Tch, had to have been Berserker, no doubt...That all you gotta say to me?"_

"Other than t' maybe steer clear of my end of town for a spell, don't think so...I'll report anything else if I come across it."

 _"Good work, Spear. Now get a move on, and be ready for when I call you and the others for that, 'special mission'."_

"Aye-aye, boss. Catch'ya later."

With that, the two members of the Fallen Stars Gang hang up on eachother, and the brunette - identified as Spears - starts jogging out of the area...and unknowingly runs under a tree which a more friendly if mischievous duelist was currently resting in. The sudden rush of steps would startle them awake, causing them to slip off the branch and fall to the ground.

"Whaaah!"

The sound would catch Spear's attention for a second, stopping to look back, and see Flip's groaning form.

 _Huh? Was that guy in the tree the whole time?...Looks like he was sleepin' on his own job._

Shaking his head with a mumbled,

"Idgit," the brunette keeps moving, dubbing the other young male as harmless to his own plans...

Grasping the side of his head, the shorter boy suddenly freezes, and jumps to his feet - showing that he was still wearing that fancy cerulean blue suit ensemble - with a nerve-wracked expression, his forehead turning blue and beading with sweat.

"Heeey, the tournament!...Aww maaan! Last thing I remember was checking out the opening ceremonies of the Duel Carnival with Addy and the gang...I wanted to find a spot so I could hide. Then I could spy on the other duelists, and get an edge on their matches."

Clenching his fists, the bespectacled boy then moans to the skies,

"But instead of dueling, I've just been do-o-o-ziiing! I'll have to bust a move if I want to win all the Heart Pieces to make the finals."

Flip makes a motion to start his run for catching up...but pauses when he realizes,

"Then again, I'm starting really late. Alot of the weaker duelists have probably dropped out, (drops to a sit) which means there's more chance of me losing. It's gonna be much harder to collect pieces now. I'll never win this thing..."

...But then an idea pops into the boy's head, making his glasses flash alongside the very sneaky grin that formed on his face.

"Unless, I can pull a Flip-Flop!"

...

Meanwhile, in another part of the city, Athena and Tiffany were walking down one street as the former fiddled with her tournament ante to see if she could now find the right combination for her own Heart Pieces.

"Hm, turn that one clockwise, shift that one to the right...Aha, finally!"

Now satisfied with her four Heart Pieces clicking together in harmony, her lips form a small smile of accomplishment.

"Took a while, but I found the puzzle position that works. Now I can officially say I have four Heart Pieces."

"I'm surprised that you didn't take the piece Cameron had. I mean, the whole situation atop the airship did get nuts, but you still did earn that piece by beating him fair and square..."

Slowing her pace a bit and feeling her smile falter, the girl with long shaggy black hair tipped copper red replies,

"Maybe I did, but, something about the way it all ended...my gut didn't feel right in taking the Heart Piece. It would've been more worth to take if I wasn't battling for all our lives, you know? Less stressing..."

"So it was the drama that prevented you from taking it, (knowing smile) or is there a special Addy lesson hidden somewhere?"

"Heha, you got me there, Tiff...Yeah, there is a sort of hard advice laced into that jewel bit left behind."

"Which is...?"

Glancing over at her friend with the black bob of hair and cornflower irises shining with curiousity, Athena smirks mysteriously and just answers,

"That's something Cam's gonna have to figure out for himself...but between us, it's to do with the phrase 'There are no short cuts in Life'."

Tiffany's eyes widen slightly, before she smiles and nods in a silent sort of understanding...She then asks,

"What does Astral have to say about your decision?"

"Well, I'd ask and then tell you...'cept he's not out here right now."

"Oh? Is he inside your pendant then?"

"Probably..."

Athena's lips twitch into a slight frown of concern as she adds,

"Thought I saw one of those faraway looks in his eyes just as we were leaving the-uh, heh, crash site...Might just need a bit of solitude to process whatever that latest Number's showed him."

"Mm, I suppose that makes sense...Hope it wasn't another bad memory..."

"Me too..."

As the girls continued their walk through downtown with their thoughts bouncing back and forth between the WDC and their friend from beyond this galaxy, our eyes cast within the Golden Key and inside the mysterious airship, as Astral once again goes over what has been returned to his memory banks so far, added further by his time on Earth.

"The Numbers are fragments of my memories, and with the help of Athena, I have been fortunate enough to regain many of them...Yet I am still uncertain of so much..."

Small Time Skip

Zooming back out into the big wide world, attention is zeroed in on yet another familiar yet seldom seen individual, who was currently looking under benches and behind bushes in the park complex for someone whom had recently done him wrong.

"Gruh, where is that snake? He's gotta be hiding somewhere..."

"...Spencer?"

The dark-haired brunette looks up to see none other than Athena and Tiffany heading his way, the first-spoken girl asking with a raised brow,

"What the heck are ya doin'?"

"I'm looking for someone...Hey, have you guys seen Flip?"

"Not as of late, why?"

Settling into a folded leg position on the bench with his arms crossed, Spencer replies with a disgruntled glare,

"He ripped me off..."

Flashback

 _As it turned out, he and the bespectacled boy had met up earlier, the latter once again using the former as an unfortunate test subject to his otherwise shady schemes, using flattery as a base cover.  
_

 _"He-e-eeey, Spencer! I know you're gonna rule this Duel Carnival!"_

 _"Yeah, those other duelists better watch out!"_

 _"I bet you collected lo~ads of those shiny Heart Pieces by now."_

 _Smiling more sheepishly, Spencer replies,_

 _"Eh, actually, I've only got two so far, and I can't fit them together yet..."_

 _Chuckling a little to himself, the shorter brunette then looks around to make sure no one was watching, before leading the other to a more secluded area._

 _"Step this way!"_

 _"Huh? Whadda ya want?"_

 _Once they were shielded from the public eye, Flip then pulls out a plastic bag full of what 'looks' to be dozens upon dozens of Heart Pieces!_

 _"Feast your eyes."_

 _"You won all of those?!"_

 _"Lemme see your piece."_

 _Making a sound of protest as his ante is robbed from his hand, Spencer says to the other,_

 _"Huh? Hey, wait, that's mine! Give it back, Flip!"_

 _Ignoring the gullible boy, Flip hms and forms a pleased grin when he sees that the other's fragment fits with his own._

 _"A perfect fit..."_

 _He then turns to Spencer with a more sly upturn of mouth._

 _"How would you like to make a deal, Spencer my friend?"_

 _"Uhm..."_

 _"I get to keep your piece and in exchange, you can have all the pieces that you want from this bag!"_

 _Though the young man was obviously taken aback by such 'generosity', he decides to go along with the deal._

End of Flashback

But based on his expression during this minute, it seems that he and Flip's little business transaction did not go the way he expected, which Athena could sense right away. Frowning, she inquires,

"You actually switched Heart Pieces with Flip?"

"Uh-huh. It would've taken forever to collect all the Heart Pieces I needed if I had to duel for 'em...But later I found out that the pieces I got from him were phony!"

Pulling out his Heart Piece frame, we see that four out of five jewel pieces had...melted and warped together?

"They're made of candy!"

The girls exclaim with new expressions of disbelieving anger,

"Candy?!"

Spencer mutters with a woebegone expression,

"I thought it was weird that the pieces were so sticky, haaaah, and they melted in my pocket."

Shaking her head in disappointment, Athena then reaches out to bop the boy's forehead with the heel of her palm.

"Ouch!"

"For god sakes, Spencer, you have to be the most gullible boy I know! Didn't you learn from last time Flip tricked you to never trust his deals?!"

Retracting her arm with an exhaled puff of irritated air, the girl with red irises adds while pinching the bridge of her nose,

"Criminy, I dunno who I should be more mad at: you or the one responsible for this."

 _So much for turning over a new leaf...Damn, you're really gonna let your old habits die hard, aren't you, Flip?_

Tiffany's tone was not as overly agitated, but nonetheless felt her scolding side take over.

"As much as I want to feel sympathy for you, Spencer, I feel this is a very teachable lesson as well. Taking shortcuts doesn't end well for anyone."

"I know, I do deserve this...but will you please help me get my pieces back from Flip?"

Feeling a little bad for the boy, and seeing he already had enough punishment dealt to him, Athena sighs and grumbles,

"Fine, fine, we'll see what we can do...but only because knowing Flip, he's gonna get himself into deep shit if he finds more victims for his scheme besides you."

...Unfortunately, her prediction was already coming to reality, as three more young duelists are hit with Flip's trickery.

"Disgusting!"

"He tricked me!"

"They're fake!"

One boy with short honey-brown hair and wearing a yellow shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a white collar, brown shorts and white sneakers was already itching to find the one who duped him, stomping down a road with a furious expression on his face.

"Just wait 'til I get my hands on that Flip...!"

But suddenly, Nistro and Dextra appear in front of the young duelist.

"Stop."

"Huh?"

The former then asks,

"What happened?"

As the the disciplinary committee of the World Duel Carnival hears out the boy's troubles, the one responsible for this new problem was chuckling to himself over his success while sitting atop a tall building deep in the downtown.

"This candy piece scam is working out _sweet_ for me! I've already collected four Heart Pieces that fit, and I only need one more to make the finals!...Hmm..."

An alternative idea came to his mind:

"I _guess_ using one piece of candy to complete my Heart Piece couldn't hurt..."

He holds one of the sweets up for his eyes, grinning while thinking aloud,

"I'm sure no one will find out..."

Of course, two of his friends are already wise to his plans, and were running through the city trying to find him.

"Hah, hah, we better find that idiot before it's too late...!"

"He, hah, already has a good head-start...and if he's scooped up enough pieces by now..."

The girls freeze, and look at one another in realization while exclaiming,

"He'll get into the finals!"

...

And true to their guess, Flip had made his way through the streets of the city to the gates leading into the inner section to swindle his way inside...where Nistro and Dextra were waiting.

"I got my pieces, all five of 'em, look!"

The soot red-haired male mutters,

"Bingo," and waits for the academy student to reach him and attempt to smooth-talk his way into the finals...

"My Heart Piece is complete."

"My, that's impressive. It didn't take you very long."

"Am I the first duelist to make the finals then...?"

Flip forms a huge smile and cheers,

"Amazing! Woo-hoo! I'm number one!..."

...But his happiness would be cut short when Nistro proposes,

"Unless...that's made out of candy!"

Pausing his bouncing steps, Flip feigns innocence to such a question.

"What? I don't understand. Are you suggesting that this Heart Piece could be a fake? I would never pull a trick like that, sir."

Seeing the lie in the smile displayed, the older teen comes up with a clever test to expose the boy.

"Prove it isn't candy then, by tasting it."

"Uh, (nervous smile) o-okay. I'll show you it's real!"

So with a bit of reluctance, Flip began lolling his tongue against his ante, doing his best to avoid the piercing gaze from those violet irises...

"Huh? This tastes good!...And, it's, melting! No! It's...candy!"

Nistro was not fooled by the overacting in the least.

"Knock it off, kid! I caught ya!"

The level of the shout causes Flip to trip backwards and fall to the ground.

"I'm innoceeent!...Uh!"

He then realizes his hat...and the bag of candy underneath it had fallen off his head, eliminating any chance of him playing further ignorance! As the young boy began to whimper nervously, Nistro quirks with a knowing frown,

"Now what do we have here?"

"I, I've been framed! I swear, sir! Auh! Someone planted those pieces in my hat!"

Athena's POV

 _Dammit, I better not have to play Flip's rescuer, or that boy's gonna get an earful...and a fistful._

Running as fast as I could up the stairs towards that same gate I chased Chrome-Dome to a few days ago...I'd quickly find out that I was a little late in stopping my doofus swindler of a friend.

 _What, the, hell...?_

As it turned out, those Heartland stooges Nistro and Dextra already caught Flip red-handed, and by caught, I mean the former literally hog-tied my stupid friend in rope and was currently dragging him away to that gate! I could just barely catch some sort of muffled sounds of protest from Flip, which got no sympathy from Nistro.

"Settle down!"

 _...Agh, damn people, the things I gotta do..._

"Hey! Stop!"

Flip hears my strong call and pivots his head to my direction, his eyes screaming in desperation behind his specs.

"Addy, help!"

Nistro does slow his pace for a moment, and I took that as a sign he was listening...

"Just what the hell do you think you're doing, Nistro? I know Flip did wrong, but that rope you got on him looks like overkill."

He sends me a rather bitter expression over his shoulder, asking,

"What's it to you?"

Dextra cuts in when she remembers,

"Wait, Nistro: I recognize her. That girl's gotten in our way before..."

I retort evenly,

"That girl has a name, you know. It's Athena...but nevermind that. Explain to me right now what you both are going to do with my friend."

Holding up Flip like he was the catch of the day, Nistro replies,

"This _cheat_ made fake Heart Pieces. He's gonna pay with his deck, and he'll be banned from this and all future Duel Carnivals! Plus I'm kicking him out of Heartland City, and he can never duel here again!"

 _...Okay, one out of three consequences, I can see, but the other two? That's just going too far!_

Forming a firm glare, I make my opinion known:

"That's far over the limit for punishment and you know it! I could easily call you out on murdering a duelist!"

Tiffany gasps at my word choice, and I could've sworn I saw Heartland's stooges widen their eyes a little in recognition to my accusation...Even so, Nistro would not budge:

"He violated our sacred rules of conduct! Now he'll suffer the consequences!"

I growl in anger, and the redhead starts his walk again, making Flip cry out,

"Nooooo! I'm sorry, honest! I'll never violate the rules again!"

 _...Oh that's it._

"Hey! Don't you walk away from me, Nistro!"

He stops and turns to face me again...

"I won't disagree with you that Flip did wrong and needs to pay a price for his tricks, but to rob him of his deck and kick him out of the city's going way too far..."

Clipping off my duel disk from my hip to hold up, I propose,

"So as far as I see, there's two ways we can do this. Either release Flip right now on the charge of being banned from this and future World Duel Carnivals, nothing else...or, if you wanna prolong _your own wrongdoing_ , we can put both our ideals to the test with a duel, see who's more honourable."

My friends give me expressions of shock for my calling out, while Nistro looked like he was gonna burst out laughing from being challenged.

"You duel me? Get real. I'm way better than you!"

I reply smoothly with a neutral frown,

"Overconfidence is any fighter's endgame, no matter how skilled or how many on each side."

Nistro forms a glare at my lack of backing down...but Dextra seemed interested by my word choice.

"Is that so? Then how about we have a two-on-one match?"

"...What are the stakes?"

"You'll duel Nistro and I together, and if you beat either one of us, then you win the match, and your friend will only be punished to the degree you proposed...But if you lose, then you get the exact full-length punishment as him."

...For most people, this would be where panic and hesitance sets in...but I'm not one of those people. I found myself chuckling in a bitter matter at her threat, making her and everyone else look at me a bit strangely.

"What's so funny?"

"Let me put it to you this way, hon..."

I look straight at her with a very dark smile and quirk,

"The only way that you, or anyone for that matter, will ever rob me of my deck, is by prying out of my _cold, lifeless hands._ "

"Uh...!"

My face contorts into an expression that spoke of volumes beyond my young body.

"You have absolutely no idea how much physical and mental torture I've gone through in but a few short years, just to protect the monsters that call my deck home. They in turn have formed a silent promise to have my back as long as I have theirs, a promise that I've carried on for the people I've connected with outside the AR."

My friends quietly mutter my name in a mix of awe and worry, and I finish by stating strongly,

"I consider my deck as a lifeline that keeps my heart beating steady, like many duelists do...so if you and Nistro have to 'kill' me before 'killing' Flip, then all I'll say is you can damn well try!"

The area grows silent for half a minute...before Nistro grins and says,

"Keh, once again, you surprise me, kid. Let's start! You have no chance, but this could be amusing."

I smirk and counter,

"You're not wrong...for it will be tremendously amusing after I clobber the both of you! Duel Disk, go! Duel Gazer: show me the impossible!"

"Get ready, to feel the heat!"

Letting Flip go so he could scramble to the sidelines with Tiffany's aid, Nistro would snap on his duel disk first, it flying out and forming onto his arm in a design format that matched his fiery personality. Dextra's in contrast, had a more graceful appearance, reminding me of, butterflies of all things.

"Let's get down to business."

I also noticed that they each had their own duel gazer tattoo rather than the traditional physical form, his a burgundy red while hers was purple.

 _Hm, that's becoming popular..._

 _I wonder...do they have any relations to Kite? I'd say Quattro and Trey, but...they don't share eachother's vibes._

 **Augmented Reality Vision Link Established.**

"(All duelists) Let's Duel!"

As the three of us readied ourselves for the first move, Tiffany asks me from her vantage point,

"Um, Addy?"

"Yeah?"

"...Has Astral come out?"

"Nope."

"...Sooo, you're dueling solo."

"Yep."

While she may have resided with those facts of the situation, Flip sure didn't.

"Astral isn't here?!...Well then this match is over! Come on, Addy, you can't be serious in taking them on without him!"

Pivoting my head to his direction, I shoot him a glare and retort,

"You wanna risk getting a fist to the gut after the match? Keep making comments like that, Flip; I dare you."

Sensing my serious tone in the threat, he cringes before exclaiming with a nervous smile,

"Uh, what I meant to say is that you can beat 'em both, Addy!"

Smirking at him knowingly, I call back,

"That's a better attitude," and focus back in front of me while adding,

"Besides, you're talkin' to the girl who's survived spars as high as five or six against one. This'll be pretty tame in comparison...but enough of that. It's my move; I Draw!"

Swiping up a card, I gaze over my hand before deciding on the following move.

"I'm starting off this duel by placing one monster face-down in Defense Mode, and follow it with another card also face-down...That'll be all for this turn."

As I expected, Nistro mocks my tactics:

"Ha! For someone who talks big, it sure looks like you don't have the cards to back it up!"

"Hmph, believe what you like, but I know what I'm doing."

 _As long as I believe in my cards, nothing can go wrong..._

Dextra makes herself the second player:

"I'll go next...I Draw, and summon Morpho Butterspy!"

 _Definitely called it on the butterfly theme..._

Her monster was a Level Four with 1200 Attack Points, and held the appearance of a warrior humanoid Blue Morpho wielding some sort of sickle-like weapons...Readying another pair of cards, she sets them face-down.

"And with this, I'll end my turn. You're up, Nistro!"

I'll admit the butterfly warrior looked a bit cool, but I chose to keep a neutral frown so my opponents couldn't throw me off.

"(Shrug) Eh, not impressed."

"Hmph, then maybe this'll wipe that poker look off your face, kid! I Draw! First, I summon Hammer Bounzer!"

The ground shakes and cracks, releasing a rather wild-looking beast with hammer head hands to pounce onto the field. What nearly threw me off was that it was a Level Six with 2300 Attack Points.

 _How'd he summon something that strong so early without a tribute?_

He must've sensed my confusion, and clears it by stating,

"I can summon this monster when you have cards on the field but I don't. My Bounzer is a real beast!"

 _Ah. That explains it..._

I hear Tiffany and Flip's worrisome comments of,

"Hoh boy, that's a strong one...!"

"He's not foolin' around; that monster's a Level Six...!"

"I turn it over to you, Athena! Let's see if you have the guts to strike!"

My lips curve into a snide and bitter smirk as I thought,

 _Oooh, the stories I could tell him regarding grit...but anyway._

I look over at the opposite field's setup:

 _Dextra's monster may look average, but those two face-downs must make up for the lack of scare..._

 _Or, it may have an ability that would not only benefit her, (glance) but Nistro too, not that he needs any real help currently._

 _His monster's packing some serious strength...but that must mean it has a weaker defense._

Turning my eyes back to my current hand before my next draw...I quickly figure out a fair counter.

"Okay! I Draw! First things...I'm switching my face-down Defense to a face-up Attack! Head for high gear, Rai Rider!"

Nistro jeers,

"Heh, 1200 Attack Points. If that's your best monster, then this duel will be over quick!"

I counter with my own sardonic smile,

"Gee, I was about to say the same thing to you regarding your strategy of psyching out your opponents. Don't you know you're just setting yourself up for questions about insecurity?"

"Grh! Insecurity?! Why I oughta...!"

Chuckling quietly to myself, I note,

 _And when people see that, they can turn your cocky attitude into your worst enemy._

"Next, I summon Tasuke Knight!"

My Level Four monster with 1700 Attack Points rises with a spin-jump to the field, and I mentally go over my goal for this turn one more time.

 _That insect's an easy target, which I'm betting is what Dextra's intent is, and is really hiding a counter._

 _I could just leave things here and end my turn...but I wanna see just how far she and Nistro are willing to push the envelope to meet their desire for punishment._

 _So while this may end up with alot of 'pain' on my side...I'm gonna risk an attack to try and clear her field._

"Rai Rider, standby! Tasuke Knight, attack Morpho Butterspy with Power Push!"

...But just as that one part of me was anxious about, Dextra would have a card ready for the assault.

"I activate the Trap, Butterflyoke! And with it, I'm putting the breaks on your Tasuke Knight's attack, because when Butterflyoke equips onto your monster, it switches it from Attack to Defense Mode!"

My teeth clench the slightest, but I remain calm and remind myself,

 _It's alright. You expected this to happen...Only thing you can do now is prepare._

(Pulse...)

"Huh?"

Suddenly...I felt this strange beat run through my veins, like a shot of cold water from the shower first thing in the morning. It settled a bit quicker than it came...but it also left me unsettled.

"...Addy...?"

I barely acknowledge my friend Tiffany by glancing behind me at her, before automatically reaching for my key, and staring down at it...for I think it's where the heartbeat-like pulse came from.

 _...Astral?_

Astral's POV

The longer I stood still in this space within the golden airship, the higher my frustrations began to climb over the mass mystery that was my own clouded perceptions. It actually took a good portion of my self-control to prevent myself from emulating one of Athena's bursts of temper...though a very small part of myself remains tempted to release in such a manner.

 _Haaah, there must be a way to relieve some of this uncertainty..._

 _Wait a moment._

"Athena's chipped memories have been restoring based on specific situations, acting as stimulants to erase the trauma blocking them..."

 _I wonder...could it work on my own mind?_

The idea was worth a go:

"Let me see if the memories I do have trigger anything new..."

Closing my eyes, I recall every memory that the Number Cards collected so far have returned to me, from my apparent birth, right down to these disturbing attacks on my homeworld, which much to my continued surprise, is a scene that my human friend shares in recollection. We are still in the process of figuring out why she had been granted this knowledge...among other things...but what we do know is that it has something to do with her torturous days spent locked away in that unnamed laboratory more than two years prior to now...

Such vague facts, however, were not helping current affairs.

"No use. I cannot piece together more memories. I need answers...and so does she..."

 _The both of us are suffering from this unprecedented mess..._

"It seems clear that my purpose is connected with Athena in ways I still cannot fully grasp. There is a bond between us, so strong that it can generate a great transformation...but will it also bring destruction?"

I sadly recall how frightened my poor friend was after the Zexal transformation was complete, and how I had to calm her down so we could use the power in our duel against Kite.

 _Yet that fear had more to do with her previous experience of power beyond her understanding...an experience that she is still in the dark about.  
_

 _...What happened to you, Athena?_

Speaking of her, I suddenly sense a shift vibrating into this temporal space from the outside world.

"Uh! Athena has begun a duel! I must go."

...But just as I make the motion to exit:

 **"Leaving so soon, Astral?"**

 _Uh! No...it cannot be!_

I dart my head up to where I heard that voice, and saw noneother than Black Mist - he copying my own physical form - looking at me from across the way in front of where the other Number Cards rested with a smirk plastered onto his face.

"You again...Number 96!"

Flashes of our last encounter stream through my mind, from when he possessed my own being and captured Athena, to when he was narrowly defeated thanks to a collective plan of deception made by myself, she and Jamal...Yet oddly, the one part of that day that stood out more prominently against the rest, was the tail end when the Number tried to attack Athena before I sealed him away. I recall feeling rather, angered, and very protective of my friend in that moment...but I do not fully understand why, for it did not feel like, a normal protective behaviour a friend has for another.

 _It felt like, more than that...But I will have to figure out the meaning another time._

Focusing my attention back to reality, I inquire,

"How is it that you're here? Did you break your seal again?"

 **"Correct. We all decided it was time to act."**

"You all?...Uh!"

I then notice that the seals of the other cards were glowing...except for one.

 _Utopia...He is remaining dormant..._

Avoiding making that observation obvious to the fiendish Number, I ask him,

"Does this mean that the other Numbers are giving you their power?"

He does not hesitate in his answer:

 **"Naturally. We all agree that the time has come. It is time to act...and to destroy!"**

"Destroy?! Are you saying that we exist in order to bring destruction to the world?!"

The mere idea sends shivers down my spine, but Black Mist seemed to relish in it, countering,

 **"What other purpose could you and I have?"**

I could only glare with clenched teeth at him, for as much as I want to disagree...I could not offer a clear alternate...

 **"Your destiny lies with us. Remember your mission."**

 _...What is he talking about...?_

His laugh only made my body stiffen with more unease, and he repeats,

 **"The time has come. Come and join us...Astral!"**

Suddenly, he sends his tendrils right for me at such a high speed, I would not be able to dodge to the side fast enough to escape!

(...SLASH)

Thankfully, just as I wince and shield myself with my arm, someone did come to my aid, in the form of the one Number that was not on Black Mist's side, much to his shock as well as my own.

 **"What?!"**

"Uh!...Utopia...!"

They glance down at me with a reassuring look, before turning a glare towards our current enemy, he sneering back.

 **"Number 39. You refuse to join us in our mission of destruction? _Well then_...I will have to have you join us by force!"**

With that threat in the air, 96 would then summon forth his own true copy...

 **"Subdue Utopia, Black Mist!"**

With his other form fully manifested, he directs it to start battling Utopia, leaving me to watch while feeling an apologetic sort of anxiety rising in my chest directed for the one person I was being blocked from.

 _I...I am sorry, Athena...but you will have to battle on your own for a while._

My gaze turns cold as I look back at the fiend responsible, adding a bit more bravely,

 _I will not allow Black Mist to rise up and put your world in danger...Moreover...I must protect you from him._

Athena's POV

 _What, was that?...And why do I suddenly feel on edge?_

 _No, wait...This isn't my feeling. It's separate from mine...Uh! It must have been Astral!_

 _...But, why is he on edge? Is something going on inside the Key?_

"Hey! Wake up, kid!"

"G-Gh!"

I jolt back to reality to the sound of Nistro's voice harshly calling me to attention, and look over at him as he says to me with a frown,

"Quit starin' into space and end your turn! You obviously have no other moves to make!"

 _Mph...he's right. I don't have any reasonable options at present._

Puffing out a sigh, I mutter reluctantly,

"I end my turn."

Of course, my friends being who they are, could easily see through my body language and tone that something wasn't right with me.

"Addy, what's wrong?"

"What's the matter?...Hang on...has Astral still not shown up yet?!"

I shake my head numbly, and I hear both Tiffany and Flip cringe...Dextra ignores us and starts her next turn:

"My move! I Draw! I summon Swallowtail Butterspy in Attack Mode!"

This next butterfly-themed monster was about the same as the first one, except it held a stronger 1800 Attack Points, and reflected the features of the Swallowtail species with claw-like weapons in their hands.

"Then I'll use my Butterflyoke Trap again and activate its second effect! Once a turn, this card allows me to change the Battle Mode of the equipped monster, so I'm switching your Tasuke Knight to Attack Mode."

"And lemme guess, you're gonna have your new butterfly take down Tasuke Knight?"

"Correct...but not before activating Morpho's special ability! If your monster changes Battle Mode, once a turn, Morpho wipes out 1000 of its Attack Points."

Watching as that glitter shower flapped at my knight reduces his strength down to 700, I think,

 _Well, this sucks. Sorry, Tasuke...Still, it'll only be 500 Life Points gone. I'll live._

"Morpho Butterspy, take out Tasuke Knight with Blue Scale Stream!"

Using its curved blades, the assassin insect charges in a spin against my monster, taking them out in a well-timed slash of pixels. I remain strong and maintain a neutral glare, my hair swept up a little harshly from the brushing impact as my Life Points drop to 3500...Dextra wasn't done (no surprise there).

"And I'm also triggering Swallowtail's special ability! Now one of your monsters loses Attack Points equal to the damage you just took!"

Since Rai Rider was my only other monster, he would pay the price and have his strength plummet to 700 also! Flip exclaims from the sidelines,

"Call a mechanic, 'cause that biker's breaking down!"

 _Maybe, but that doesn't mean I have to..._

...My monster glances over his shoulder to lock his gaze with mine, and we both nod slightly but firmly.

 _Your sacrifice will not be in vain, Rai Rider...Thank you._

"Get set, Swallowtail! Attack Rai Rider! Venomous Scale stream!"

Those claw-like weapons transform and extend into some seriously-sharp lance blades, before they are enveloped in a yellow-orange glow, and fly in a lunge for my motorist, who bravely meets the challenge, futile though it was...He would be destroyed by the slash marks, which then carry on to hit me where my torso was, but I prepped in advance with an arm cross to reduce the life-like impact and prevent myself from flying off my feet for the ground. 2400 would be where my Life Points sat as I fought to catch my breath, my body positioned in a lean towards my left side with my elbow on my upper leg for steadiness.

"Hah, hah, hah..."

 _Now that, was a more impacting attack..._

"Addy!"

"We're gonna get tossed if she loses! Guess I better start packing my suitcase..."

Straightening up, I call back to them a bit annoyed by their prolonged worries,

"Chill out, you two! I'm just getting warmed up!"

"Ha! What a lousy way of covering your streak!"

I whirl back in front of me to glare hard at Nistro for that comment, he adding with a smirk,

"You're running out of Life Points fast, Athena, and you still haven't scored a hit against me or my partner! Give it up!"

"Nadda chance! If anything, this is where the duel really begins, so I suggest you two prepare yourselves for the real battle coming!"

"Ha, really?"

"Really really...I activate Rai Rider's special ability! Because you went wheel to blade with him, your Swallowtail can't battle come your turn again."

Nistro continues to mock my choices:

"Teh, what difference does it make? Your field is empty anyway. Your special ability is useless right now."

"Is it? We'll see, and just because I have an open field, doesn't mean I'm completely defenseless."

Quirking up a small smirk, I add cryptically,

"You never know what could be lying in wait for the right conditions..."

He gives me a momentary expression of confusion, before brushing it off with a snort of derision, which made my smirk grow the slightest.

 _Tha~t's right, keep underestimating me...Just gotta wait for the exact second..._

No POV

As the girl with long, shaggy black hair tipped copper red kept stretching her limits in dragging out her opponents for what she hoped would be a big turnaround, the situation inside her golden pendant was growing more violent by the minute, as Number 96's monster copy kept their assault strong against Number 39, sending one of their demon-clawed hands to lunge at the latter, forcing them to block with their blade...

 **"Take hold of Utopia!"**

Black Mist's copy complies with the order, stretching its twisting, misty arms upward before shooting them at their target again, only to be repelled once more by Utopia's swords whirling back in a counter!

...

The impact of energy emits a wave to go bouncing towards the outside world, which unknown to Athena, was the true source of that strange pulse vibrating through her veins like someone plucking a harp string.

"Mph...!"

 _There it is again...What's going on?...Astral, can you hear me? Are you alright?_

She'd receive no response through the telepathic bond, but before she could attempt another, her red irises were forced to focus back on her duel as Nistro began his next move.

"It's my turn! (Swipes up a card) Haaah! I summon, Blade Bounzer!"

The monster that rose to the field with an all-mighty roar was Level Four with 1800 Attack Points, housing the guise of a lightly-bulked humanoid panther, wearing leather armour on its legs and arms, the latter piece held together across its upper torso with two buckled strips, and carried very long, curved blades extending from the wrist.

"Then Hammer Bounzer's gonna attack you directly! And don't think you can protect yourself either: when there are no Spell or Trap Cards on my field and this card attacks, you can't activate any Spells or Traps!"

Athena says nothing, her eyes reflecting a calm glare...

"You're totally at my mercy now, Athena, and I'm not in a forgiving mood. Attack, Hammer Bounzer! Knuckle Knockdown!"

The young teenager remains mute, watching stock-still as Nistro's monster leaped up and charged down at her with their weaponized appendages raised to strike.

 _Wait for it..._

A collision is met, creating a foaming smoke cloud to obscure Tiffany and Flip's view of their friend's side of the battlefield.

"Addy!"

"She's almost done for!"

The older teen male with soot red hair laughs, drawing similar conclusions.

"Haha, that girl may have guts, but she's out of her league! One last attack from Blade Bounzer, and this duel is over!"

"...Don't count your chickens before they hatch, smart guy!"

"Huh?"

The gritty air clears...revealing Athena's panting but smirking form, her Life Points settling at only 1600!

"Hah, hah...Was that all you got?"

"What?! How did-You should've taken more damage!"

"Yeah, see, here's the thing: I have this little issue with how sitches 'should' go down... _and so does Gardna._ "

She was referring to the new monster that was occupying a space in front of her, Level Four with 1500 Attack Points and with the appearance of a male with medium-length spiky pink hair tucked under a black/silver helmet, teal irises glaring protectively from the area not covered by the large orange kerchief pulled to his face, and wearing a rather rugged outfit that somewhat mirrored a stereotypical motorbiker. He was also holding up a rather large shield, standing about as tall as he, decorated with a dark magenta border while the rest was dominantly black with yellow and aqua blue, and had the red-orange Gagaga symbol printed on the top-middle.

Upon recognizing the monster, Tiffany cheers,

"Alright! Gagaga Gardna's here!"

"Rightly so, Tiff, for whenever I'm attacked directly, I'm allowed to special summon him from my hand to help protect me. And by discarding one card, I can prevent him from being destroyed."

 _In this case, I'm afraid you and I will have to part ways, Overlay Eater...for now._

Once his shock wore off, the male with bluish-purple irises scoffs,

"Tuh, but you'll still take damage if my monster is stronger. Your Gardna has 1500 Attack Points; my Blade Bounzer has 1800! Blade Bounzer, strike! Use your Straight Slash!"

His monster starts sprinting towards Athena's...but she wasn't afraid.

"Fine by me! I'll just discard another card and use Gardna's special ability again!"

So while her monster may have been protected by a shield dome shining like a transparent rainbow, she would still receive damage in the after-impact, crossing her arms and bending her knees with a wince from the push her body felt as her Life Points dropped to 1300! Tiffany cries out her battling friend's name with worry as Flip notes,

"She lost another 300 Life Points!"

"Just a minor setback, Flip!"

Straightening up, Athena adds in firm belief,

"My monsters depend on my life as much as I depend on theirs, and when it comes down to it, they matter more than I do. If that means I continue to teeter dangerously close to the end, so be it."

Nistro calls back in a jeer,

"Heh, you might wanna rethink that idea, once I activate my Blade Bounzer's special ability!"

He rids himself of a Spell Card to activate it, causing a blazing energy to ring around the panther...

"By discarding a card from my hand, Blade Bounzer can clobber your monster all over again!"

Athena grinds her teeth a little:

 _What a brute..._

Meanwhile, the young man with bespectacled-covered black irises comments in dismay,

"Gardna is a goner! Nistro has four more cards after this, so he can keep on attacking!"

Said subject of worry starts obliging to the predicted strategy.

"Once again, Blade Bounzer: attack Gagaga Gardna! Straight Slash!"

"Hang in there, Gardna! I discard another card from my hand to activate your ability again! Go, Gardna Guard!"

The same attack and counter-block scenario plays out again, and Athena would struggle against the current of the blacklash, falling to one knee as her Life Points dropped to 1000...

"You just played your last card, kid. Now Gagaga Gardna can't use his special ability again!"

"Grrrh...!"

"It was a total route: you choked, and now you're out of the Carnival!...Strike again, Blade Bounzer! End this duel now! Straight Slash Attack!"

Nistro's monster obeys, charging forward with a roar for what could be the final blow...

"Stay strong for me, Gardna! We can do this!"

 _I dunno if I'll be able to save you...but I can still find a-_

(PULSE)

"GH!"

Suddenly, in the moment Blade Bounzer leapt into the air with one curved blade held up high...the world around Athena seemed to freeze for that second as a much stronger pulse of energy ran a river through her veins, and she felt her mind sinking, her vision plummeting out of this plain. Here, her friends would witness her sharply drawing a haggard breath, before her head lolled downward in a limp.

"Hauh! Addy!"

"Addy, what's wrong?! Are you okay?! Say something!"

...She does not respond...and peering under the shadow cast over her face by her curtaining hair, we see a faint glow of gold and white ringing around her red irises...

But delving into the inner dimensional space of the Golden Key...

"(...Blink) Uh!...Huh?"

 _What, happened...?_

Athena would quickly discover that she was no longer in tune with her duel, and would soon become wise to the other battle occurring in the background. Rubbing her eyes with a fist, she mutters,

"Uuh man, I feel dizzy...Rh, wait...the ground...Sand?"

 _And not just any old sand, either...This is...Wait, no._

 _...No way!_

Darting her head up, the girl gasps, spotting a familiar and mysterious apparatus a distance away from her proximity.

 _It's that golden airship!...Which, which means..._

 _Oh god...I'm inside my Key!_


	38. Dark Temptations and True Resolve

_How...How, is this even happening right now?! And of course this is during another duel; sure, why not?_

This thought of mixed surprise and frustration would be running through the young Fujina's mind, as her ember red irises drank in the sights before her.

An open dune of seemingly endless sand as white as the shores of the Australian beaches of Hyams and Lucky Bay, the colour muted by vivid blues and violets reflecting off the skies above, and tiny light particles floating in the atmosphere like snowflakes imitating stars...

This was the environment that made up the dimensional space within the Golden Key, which for reasons yet to be unveiled, had summoned a part of their owner's self within its depths right in the middle of her duel against Nistro and Dextra!

...Speaking of, back out in the AR-cloaked area in front of the main gate to Heartland City's inner core, this girl in the black leather jacket and matching-coloured pleated skirt was still acting like a limp ragdoll, as Blade Bounzer dove down from above to bring their blade against Gagaga Gardna. Taking this as a sign of shock, the young man with dark natural skin and sooty red hair taunts,

"Ha, that's right, kid: you can't protect your monster anymore since there are no more monsters in your hand! You're finished!"

The two young teens acting as audience members to this duel try to snap their friend out of it.

"Look out, Addy!"

"Snap to it, Addy, or we're both done for!"

There's no response at first...but then, the girl's head slowly rises to reflect a very impassive, almost dull expression.

"...Activating Tasuke's Special Ability, Push Battle Halt."

The hex circle that connects the Battlefield with the Graveyard opens, and Athena's monster rose back to action, thrusting a glowing hand forward to release a ripple of wind, which hits the attacking panther...before the whole offensive measure is brought to a complete standstill, with only a few inches of air between their weapon and Gardna's shield!

"Guh! She blocked me?!"

While Flip cheered with a hop in his step and a fist pumped into the air, Tiffany smiles as she remembers,

"Ah! That's right: Tasuke Knight can be brought back from the Graveyard when their wielder is being attacked while having no cards in their hands. Not only that, but he can also stop the battle from progressing."

Growling from the lack of damage dealt to his opponent, Nistro grinds,

"You got lucky, kid...Hm?"

That's when he notices that the girl with long, shaggy black plait tipped copper red was not displaying, any sort of emotion at all, which seemed to infuriate him more than her mocking smirks had been.

"Tch, what's with the look? Some new mind trick you're tryin' to pull?...Hey! I'm talkin' to you!"

"Duel."

"Huh?"

He'd only become more confused by the very dry, muttered reply that emitted from Athena's mouth, like she was on autopilot.

"Con-tin-ue...duel."

"What the..."

 _Well this duel just got weird: first we had a girl with an attitude problem...and now an android?_

...

Back inside the girl's pristine golden pendant, she was asking herself similar questions, when she suddenly found her vision clouded by the events going on outside this temporal realm.

"...Uuuuuh, okaaaaay..."

 _That, was weird...So, I'm in two places in once?_

 _...Hold on...Oooh, I get it: I'm not_ _completely_ _inside the key. Just my conscious...I think._

 _Which means, my subconscious must be running the show in my body right now._

 _...Wish I didn't sound like such a zombie, but, then again, I guess it's a miracle I can still talk and convey some sort of strategy for the duel._

"Still, I better find out what the hell's going on and get back out there before everyone starts suspecting."

Focusing her irises onto the golden airship before her, the girl with the beige complexion deciphers,

"I'm more than sure that those pulses were coming from that way...Now, if I remember right..."

Bending her knees a little, she then lightly kicks off the sandy grounds and starts making her way over to where the mysterious apparatus was...Athena would be landing softly on the edge of the roof two minutes later, thinking to herself with a slight smile despite herself,

 _Heh, if things haven't taken such an odd turn, this would be pretty cool..._

 _So then, where's-_

(Bang-clang-blaaang)

"Uh!"

Darting her head upward, Athena would witness the streaming forms that were Numbers 96 and 39, still hashing it out against one another in a fierce battle of wills.

 _Utopia...and Black Mist? But, how are they out here?_

 **"Seize Astral, Black Mist!"**

 _Uh!...That voice...it can't be...!_

Following the sound of that command, ember red irises would lock down below at the malicious form that was the black-skinned being.

"It is! Number 96!...(Narrows eyes) What's the crap's he up to now, and how'd he break from Astral's control?"

 _Speaking of my friend..._

(Clang)

She'd wince when Utopia protects Astral another attack from his opponent's monster form, glancing over at her blue-skinned companion with a growing worry.

 _Astral...So this is why you haven't come out yet: you got ambushed by this creep and are stuck fighting him..._

 _Is that why the key brought me in here? To help? That must be it._

 _...But, what can I do?_

 **"Give up! We will _absorb you!_ "**

Catching some emphasis near the end of that latest exclaim, Athena hms in a quiet voice while keeping herself hidden behind the edge of one large gear,

"Absorb...Hang on a second...Black Mist may have given us trouble last time, but I don't remember him being this powerful..."

 _Also, I would think that the other Numbers would jump to Astral's aid when he's being threatened...but, it's only Utopia defending right now._

 _...I wonder...Could Black Mist have stolen the power of the other Numbers?_

 _...If he has...how can I find out?_

(Pulse...)

"Hm?"

Suddenly, the girl feels a different beat of power echo from within the inner sanctums of the airship, and turns around to where she felt it tickle her back.

"...What was that?"

 _Was that...a Number?...It came from below here._

So with curiousity flooding her veins and temporarily masking the appending dangers, Athena silently steals away from her current vantage point to float deeper into the mysterious mode of air transport...At the same time, the celestial being from beyond this galaxy also feels a shift in the atmosphere as he did before he became caught in his current affairs...only this time, something felt different.

"Huh?...Athena?"

 _Odd...Suddenly, the warning beat of Life Force feels, duller, or less agitated._

 _Is she out of danger; did she end the duel that quickly?...No. Something is still wrong._

"As much as I want to believe Athena has everything under control...I will not be assured until I am able to see for my own eyes."

 _But first...I must put an end to this._

Forming an affirmed expression, Astral gestures his right arm forward in a commanding manner.

"Utopia: Let us finish this farce quickly so we may join Athena!"

Glancing over his shoulder, Utopia gives his current wielder a quick nod, before shoving the Black Mist Monster back harshly, then soaring for the air, causing the latter's monster's controller to think that he was making a break for it.

 **"Do not let it escape!"**

They heed Number 96's order, and tries to blast the warrior angel out of the sky by firing a beam of dark purple energy...However, that would quickly be made an exercise of wasted strength, when Number 39 suddenly drops in a dive at the last second to dodge the latest attack, save a bit of singeing on the top edge of his right wing!

 **"What? Grrh, a feint?!"**

Utopia lands smoothly near the sandy grounds below, turning to motion a challenging expression at his opponent, whom would growl before diving down to start another round. They would be followed by their wielders shortly after, Astral shooting Black Mist a very small, almost Athena-worthy smirk before starting his way down, bristling the latter.

 **"Rrrh, so, taking a few lessons from that little human of yours, are you? (Sneer) I'll make you regret your defiance, Astral."**

"Funny, I was about to say something similar to you."

Athena's POV

As I made my way deeper into the inner workings of this strange airship, I caught the exchange of words between Black Mist and Astral, feeling a smirk of pride form as I heard my friend act so...rebelliously.

 _Heh, guess I must be starting to rub off on 'im. Way'da ruffle his feathers, Astral..._

 _Now, while he and Utopia keep the gruesome twosome busy, I better see if I can make this battle a fair fight._

Slipping through an opening between two gears, I add in an afterthought,

"And I better go as fast as I can. Who knows how long my subconscious can keep dueling for...In fact, maybe I should check on my progress."

Whatever forces out there that caused this must've heard me, for one quick draw of breath was all it took, before I felt this weird pressure on my eyes...and I was able to see the outside world inside my mind (and that's the least confusing way I can put it...). With this image running through my brain as I went, I took note of my, body, drawing a card before sending Tasuke Knight to attack Morpho Butterspy...

 _Oh good, it worked. May not be much, but 500 down's what I call progress..._

Nistro's mocking expression said otherwise (for some reason, the audio wasn't working this round), but both of my selves ignore him, and I come back to focus.

 _Eh, I say let 'em think he's all that. It'll come biting back soon enough..._

 _Now, where does Astral store the Numbers when were not using them?_

(Pulse...)

"Mph...That was little stronger this time. (Turns) From Northwest of here..."

I follow the pulsing as it got more prominent the closer I got...and eventually, I found the source.

"Whooooaaa..."

As it turns out, there's an area inside this metal airship that housed these, pillars, each one imprinted with a numeral representing dozens upon dozens of Number Cards needing collection. Of course, Astral and I have only gotten a limited quantity of them, so it's only a small section of the pillars that have been...unlocked, I suppose?

"So this is where the Numbers hang out when I'm not using them in a Duel...Man, what a way to remind myself of how big this whole mission really is..."

 _So far, we've only got twelve out of ninety-nine...and only Utopia's is glowing in a way that isn't of bad intent...while the others..._

The other eleven Number Cards housed in here had this freaky, dark glow of power radiating off each one in that red/purple like that aura which those people previously possessed by them had until I defeated and freed them from that control...However, this was a little different from those other instances, for instead of a simple glow, there was a little sparking coming from the numerals...which were steadily flowing down near the lower center, where Black Mist's place would be, it glowing just as brightly as Utopia, only in a sickly black-plum light.

"I knew it...He's robbing the other Numbers of their power, save Utopia, for his own devices..."

I float up for a closer look, stopping in front of Number 83's symbol, careful to stay a foot or so back so I wasn't hit by the abrasive energies.

"There's gotta be a way to shut this off...but how?"

 _Come on, Addy, think..._

 _H...Help._

 _Huh?_

 _H-Help, me..._

 _...I know that woman's voice.  
_

 _"_...Galaxy Queen? Is that you?"

The air grows quiet for a couple seconds, aside from the echos of the battle going on outside the airship...when suddenly, just above the pillar, a transparent form projects for my own eyes to see...in the form of the very Number Monster herself! I gasp a little and jolt back a bit, startled that she would try and meet face-to-face with me.

"G-Galaxy Queen...Wow, it's been a while...Oh!"

That's when I took notice of the black bands of power restraining her arms and waist, also sparking in that dark power, which was obviously causing the royal some really bad pain based on her expressions. I didn't need to play Twenty Questions to know who did this, and I form a glare before asking,

"... _He_ did this, didn't he? Black Mist has forced you and the others to conspire with him by draining your powers."

 _Y-Yes, child...We, tried to resist, but he was too strong. Only, Utopia was able to fight back._

"Yeah, I kind-a got that, and I'm sure you and the others did your best...Anyway, I'm, still not entirely sure how I can remedy the sitch, but I'm thinking if we break the flow of stolen power, that should weaken Black Mist enough so Utopia has a better fighting chance...Any ideas, 'cause I'm kind-of winging it here."

Giving me a slight smile through her pain, she struggles to point her scepter down at her pillar.

 _There, is one way, you can help. Quickly; t-touch, my symbol._

"That's it? You sure?"

She nods, and I puff out a breath while shrugging,

"Alright, you're the expert...Here goes nothing."

 _One of the very, very few times where my lack-thereof ability to feel pain will be useful._

Shaking out my left wrist at ready, I start reaching out towards the 83 on the pillar end...As soon as was just a few centimeters from touching from the stone, the tips of my fingers would be met with what I felt as something like pressurized air, when it was really an invisible barrier that erected to try and keep me away.

"Mph...Come on. (Looks up) Galaxy Queen, I need you to relax. I understand you're in pain, but your discomfort is making it difficult for me to help...I need you to trust me."

I could tell her resistance was stemming from fear...but she nonetheless does as I ask her, breathing in deeply and allowing herself to go limp, depressurizing that invisible shield enough so that I could shove my way through!

"Rrrrr-hah!"

(...Ping)

As soon as my fingertips connect with the numeral, a rouge-gold light began to envelop the entire pillar, virtually evaporating all that dark power like it was just steam! My jaw drops in spite of myself, mystified by...whatever I just did.

 _How, the friggin' hell did I-_

 _Well done, child._

 _Hm?_

Forcing my eyes away from staring at my hand like a dummy, I look up and see the transparent form of Galaxy Queen, no longer held by those bindings and looking much healthier.

 _Thank you for freeing me._

"Um, your welcome...Just wish I knew what the hell I did, though..."

 _It will become more clear to you as time marches on. For now, concentrate your efforts on freeing the others, preferably before Black Mist becomes wise to your presence._

I stiffen on alert at the mention of that creep:

"Gh, that's right; it's a miracle that he hasn't sensed me yet...Okay, I think I can take it from here, Galaxy Queen. You rest, and, (slight smile) thanks. It was nice chattin' with you."

 _As it was a pleasure to speak freely with you...Until we meet again, Athena._

With that, Number 83 fades out of sight, likely heading back inside the pillar, which was now glowing in a more normal manner without the poisonous-looking aura. Breathing out another somewhat heavy sigh, I shake my head with a weak smirk and mutter,

"Like I said already, the things I gotta do for people...Hoh-kay, no time for stalling."

I zero in on my next target, and shift over a little so I was in front of them, determination filling my heart.

"Next up, Leviathan Dragon."

 _Hang on, Astral and Utopia, (smirk) and watch out, Creep One and Creep Two. Addy's on the job._

Black Mist's POV

 ** _Mmh, this is proving to be a bit more work than I expected...but I will not lose. Not this time._**

I have shifted my stance from above the airship to the sand dunes below with Astral, we continuing our battle of wills with our respected Number Monsters, my own copy...and that blasted Number 39.

 ** _How did he even slip past my control?...Is he truly that strong?_**

 ** _(Smirk) No matter. Even the mightiest warriors fall eventually. I just have to chip his stamina down a little more..._**

Only a few minutes more of patience would be required, before my copy manages to seize that troublesome other Number with their tendrils, much to poor Astral's dismay.

"Utopia!"

Grinning, I think to myself,

 ** _Ha. I've got you now._**

 **"Black Mist, destroy Number 39!"**

They heed my command, and prepare to end that pathetic Utopia...but somehow, he was able to slip out one of his swords, and cuts himself free, throwing my monstrous doppelganger back! Clenching a fist, I growl,

 **"Curses...!"**

 _ **I almost had him...Wait.**_

That was when...I felt the power that I acquired from the other Numbers - by force, mind you - begin to drop. Placing a hand over my chest, I mutter,

 **"What's, this? My new power is...weakening...?"**

 _ **But how? The only way this could be possible, (glance) is if Astral was able to slip back to the pillars and started disconnecting my hold over them...**_

 _ **Yet he's over there, so how-...Unless...**_

I turn my head towards the airship, and narrow my eyes in suspicion.

 **"Someone else is inside the Key."**

A moment passes as I use my powers to sense for any other auras...and I get a beat on a very familiar third party.

 **"Uh! Grrrh...it's that human, Athena!"**

 _ **How in the worlds did she get in here?!...Tch, perhaps, I'll have to personally ask her that question.**_

Though while my very blood was boiling with anger over that girl interfering with my plans again, as I started to steal my way back into the airship...I could not help but smirk when I realize,

 _ **And while I'm at it...I shall capture and absorb her as well.**_

Astral's POV

Utopia had just broken free from Black Mist's hold once more, and was just about to ready himself for another counterattack...when suddenly, the monster form of that fiend just, stopped moving.

 _Huh?...Why did they stop attacking?_

"...Do you admit defeat?"

That's when I noticed a certain 'copy-cat' wasn't in the area.

"Wait a moment...where is Number 96?"

...Both of the monsters within my vision turned their heads towards the airship, so I follow their gazes, only to see Black Mist heading his way in. I narrow my eyes in suspicion of this sudden change of behaviour, for it seemed rather unlike of that fiend to just, stop what he had planned to finish.

 _Now what is he up to...?_

 _...Wait...Uh! I'm sensing another presence inside the pendant...and, it's, Athena's?_

If I was not confused before, I certainly was now.

"But, this cannot be correct. Athena is currently engaged in a duel outside...And yet, I also feel her aura, within this place...?"

 _Something strange is going on here..._

An unease begins to build within my chest, made all the more prominent when the monster Utopia and I were fighting, suddenly vanishes in a dark flash of light!

"Urh!"

I block my eyes with my arm...and uncover when the light died away.

"They, left...Their form must not be able to hold strongly unless Black Mist is focused on fighting."

 _But what could have distracted him...?_

"Aaah!"

That's when my ears pick up on a very frightening sound:

 _Auh, I know that scream!_

"Athena!"

 _I distinctly heard it from within this dimension...so she is here, but is also out there._

 _...I shall have to contemplate the details later; I must go to her at once!_

Worried that the outcry could be Black Mist's doing, I quickly spin around to Utopia to tell him,

"Utopia, I do not know precisely what is happening, but I do know that Athena will need your presence in the duel outside. Go now while the danger has dissipated, and I shall handle things from here."

Though I could sense his reluctance, Number 39 nods in agreement, before turning around to launch in flight out of the key, while I started to make my way towards the airship, determined to figure out what was happening...and save my friend.

 _Athena, if that truly was you I heard, be strong!_

A few minutes earlier, Athena's POV

So, it actually took a little less time than I thought it would to undergo the task of disconnecting the Numbers from that power directional flow once I got the ball rolling. True, there was some resistance on their parts, but like with Galaxy Queen, the friction was mostly out of pain and fear, which I calmed them of with my assurance...

Now it all comes down to this digit, Number 25.

"Okay, Force Focus, you're the last one...So, ya mind making things a little easier for the both of us so we can get this done quick?"

 _I'm not sure how well my subconscious is stalling, but I can't play zombie duelist for much longer..._

 _Though I'm positive I've managed to take a big chunk of power away from Black Mist._

As I started the 'shove through and re-seal' bit again, I found myself smirking a little again as I think aloud,

"Ha, just you wait, 96: you're goin' down hard...Urh!"

 _Come on, 25, work with me he-_

 _(Flash)_

 _Tendrils shooting my way, and me barely dodging them so that they hit the gears of this airship..._

 _(Flash)_

"...U-Uh..."

I do manage to finish the job...and yet, that vision that came before me...it left a bad taste in my mouth as I lowered my arm.

 _What the hell was that?...Was, Force Focus trying to warn me about something?_

 _...And those tendrils...they looked a little too familiar._

 **"Hello again, _Athena_."**

 _Gh! Oh...shhhit!_

Gulping a little nervously, I slowly turned around, and found myself locking eyes with that damn Astral look-alike, he smirk-glaring me from a couple feet away!

"Rh, Black Mist!"

 _This, is not, good._

No POV

As the situation for the conscious half of the girl with red irises was about to turn for the worst, we check back outside the golden key, as the duel between the subconscious Athena and her duo opponents slows down a little due to a lack of continuation from the teenager, much to Nistro's annoyance.

"Stop stallin'! End your turn so I can crush you!...Either that, or forfeit the duel."

The subconscious Athena ignores the harsh direction for the most part, focusing on her own agenda.

"Duel...One, face-down; end tu-"

(Sheen...)

"Mm?"

Suddenly, a great flash of golden light bursts out of the girl's pendant like a shooting star, shocking the spectators silly, before it curves back to hit against her extra deck!...Reaching into the case as if nothing happened, Athena pulls out,

"...Utopia...Hm..."

"If the light show is over, kid, let's get back to dueling!"

Between the drop in personality and this new release of power, the young woman with chocolate brown irises was starting to feel her suspicions rise.

"There's something weird going on...Be careful, Nistro."

Meanwhile, the girl with cornflower blue irises and wearing the green halter babydoll top under a blue open vest hums with a more anxious expression.

"Something's not right with Addy. It's like she's turned into one of those robot kids..."

 _Or like, not all of her is out here now..._

Flip hms with his own frown of concern:

"Yeah, I'm a little worried too, but all we can do is hope that she'll find a way to flip this duel around."

They wouldn't have to wait long, before their friend would make her next move on her turn.

"Revise, strategy. New move: Over-laying, Level Four Gagaga Gardna, and, Tasuke Knight."

The monsters take to the air in a swirl of orange and yellow, the galactic Overlay Network portal opening in the ground below...

"XYZ Sum-moning, Number 39: Utopia."

And just like that, the warrior angel monster was up on the field...One can only imagine the level of shock that riddled Nistro when his dark purple irises soaked in the image that was the Rank Four XYZ.

"It's, a Number! She has a Number...and it's one of the most amazing I've ever seen!"

Dextra admits to her own amazement:

"It is spectacular...!"

She then narrows her eyes determinedly, becoming much more interested in this duel...Athena wraps up her turn:

"Now, one face-down set, ending, turn."

Grinning with a new found excitement, and somehow blocking out the strange behaviour his opponent's been displaying, the tall male with spiky reddish hair exclaims,

"I'm gonna subtract that Number from her deck!"

"Not yet, Nistro."

"Hm?"

He glances over at his partner, who draws her next card:

"You have to wait for me! I'm summoning Moonlit Papillon!"

Unlike the last two monsters she's summoned, this Level Four had the appearance of a giant eye with shining blue butterfly wings and antenna...

"Don't, Dextra! I told you I'm goin' after that Number!"

She retorts to her partner's whining,

"You'll wait your turn! Now that we know she has a Number Card, this isn't a game anymore. We're doing this by the book, understand?"

"Rrrh...Guuuh, I hate by the book..."

Focusing away from the groaning Nistro, Dextra applies the next step.

"I overlay my Level Four Swallowtail Butterspy and Moonlit Papillon! And with them, I'll build the Overlay Network, and XYZ Summon, Photon Papilloperative!"

And rising out the regular red portal, was a Rank Four humanoid butterfly of a dominant black, purple and magenta colour scheme with the air of an assassin, and 2100 Attack Points! Flip comments,

"That's one mean-looking butterfly!"

Tiffany replies with an uncertain expression directed at her near-emotionless friend who was dueling,

"Uhm, I don't think Addy shares your opinion..."

 _Okay, not that the whole poker face bit isn't a good thing, but this is too serious even for her..._

 _What's going on with you, Addy?_

...

Speaking of the girl, returning within the mysterious realm of the golden key pendant, we witness this Athena moving into a defensive position in front of the Number Pillars as she is confronted by Black Mist, his smirk growing a tad in seeing the human teenager becoming a little nervous by his presence.

 **"Well well, this is quite an interesting development. I should be annoyed that you're once again making a nuisance of yourself, but then again, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised considering our last encounter...How did you get in here?"**

Glaring back, the girl with ember red irises replies,

"'Fraid I can't tell ya that; you'll have to ask the Key since it was the one that suddenly drew me inside...And since we're asking questions, I've got one for you: whaddo you think you're doing causing mayhem again?"

Chuckling a little, the fiendish Number rose a brow and comments,

 **"Causing mayhem? What a crude way of putting my actions. I'm merely trying to _help_ Astral."**

"Ha! I find that hard to believe! Help him with what exactly?"

 **"Remembering his mission of destruction, of course."**

Now that would throw a curve with the teenage girl:

"Uh...Destruction?...You gotta be kidding..."

 _There's, no way, that can be true. Astral may not have all his memories back yet...but, from all the time we've spent together, I've never sensed any vibes that suggested he was secretly malicious..._

 _He doesn't have the grit for something like that. Why would Black Mist think-_

 _Wait...He represents that bad memory of Earth being, er, destroyed...and yet..._

Shaking her head a little, Athena decides,

 _No. Something about that doesn't spell right._

She makes her case plain to the Number before her eyes with a strong tone.

"...You're lying! There's no way Astral's capable of something like total destruction! I don't care that you're supposed to hold a memory like that! Hell, for all I know, you're not even a memory at all; just a bad dream he never needed!"

 **"Believe what you like, but I am not about to let someone like you stop me from fulfilling my goals."**

Black Mist floats up closer to the human, who inches backwards until her spine touches one of the pillars.

"Rgh..."

 **"I haven't forgotten our last battle and how despite possessing your motor functions, you had tricked me into defeat...Not this time."**

A few tendrils protrude from the pitch black being's back, his lips curving into an evil smile.

 **"This round, I shall take complete control over your very being. I could simply destroy you, but I think it would be very enjoyable to witness the look on Astral's face when he finds that I've captured his little human friend."**

"Grh!...Fat chance, you creep!"

On that note, Athena ducks downward fast to dodge the lunging tendrils, before kicking off forward to make a run, or rather, float for it. This only served to amuse Black Mist, who calls after her,

 **"Go ahead and try to run, but your chances of escape are as low as Astral's! I will absorb you both!"  
**

He emphasizes his threat with a laugh and thrust of a single tendril, which slams against the girl's side and knocks her down for a straight course against a smooth surface between a section of gears.

"Aaaah-guuuh!"

She lands on her stomach with a harsh thump, and struggles to get up with a few coughed inhales and exhales.

 _D-Damn...I gotta find Astral...!_

Glancing behind her with an agitated glare fixed on her current threat, the girl scrambles back onto her black, blue-laced sneakers before starting a fast weave into the inner sections of the airship. Grinning, Number 96 follows after her in a steady pace...

A couple, tension-thick minutes will then pass, before we would catch up with Athena somewhere near the far back end of the golden mode of transport, crouching within a cramp space between several mechanisms to hide from Black Mist long enough so she could think of a plan.

 _God dammit, of course something had to go wrong after the right..._

 _But this could be a whole lot worse: at least I managed to disable 96's power upgrade._

 _...Only drawback is now I've got 'im hunting me down like a snake on a mouse._

She would silently flinch when her current enemy comes passing overhead, crooning in a mocking manner,

 **"Athena~, come out, come out, wherever you are~..."**

 _Tch, stalker...Alright, can't afford to panic. I need to stay calm, quiet and get out of his range so I can concentrate on locating Astral._

 _(Throb...)_

 _And I need to step up the pace. Looks like Nistro and Dextra have brought out the big guns...Photon Monsters._

 _...Hmph. Guess this means my first guess was right: they must have connections with Kite if they're using similar types._

 _Anyway, the traps I've set should keep me in the game...for now, at least. But I'll be cutting it dangerously close..._

Shaking her head with a muted sigh, Athena peers her ember red irises around her vantage a few times to check if the coast was clear...

"No signs of 'im..."

Taking this opportunity with a cautionary first step, the girl with the tamed-down plait of long black hair shimmies herself out of the tight hiding spot, before choosing to float out straight through the middle path between several large gears until she was outside the airship again, pivoting around so she was facing it.

"Haaah, so far, so good...Hm?"

She then spots something odd on the smooth surface of gold near the tipped end.

"What's, that...?"

Curiousity getting the better of her again, Athena floats in for a closer inspection, coming face-to-face with what appeared to be...some sort of hairline fracturing in the metal.

"Well here's something I'd never think to see on a ship so...perfect-looking..."

 _Wonder where this came from...?_

 _(...Thump-bump...thump-bump)_

 _Rgh...Wait, this thing's got its own pulse?_

...Without really thinking, the teenage girl reaches a hand towards the cracking in the gear piece...and as soon as her palm laid flat on it-

 _(Thu-BUMP)_

"Auh!"

 _(Flash)_

 _The clock rewinds and unclogs a new recollection of details for the young Fujina, the scene somewhat more clear than the others. In it, we witness a shivering form dressed in thin, slightly ripped cream-coloured garments, kneeling on the ground behind a glass surface..._

 _A faint echo of shaking echo sounds, belonging to a form of restraints binding the small figure's wrists and waist..._

 _Suddenly, they shoot forward with a haggard but very loud roar, revealing themselves...as Athena, her usual red irises overtaken by a translucent over-shine of golden light!_

 _(Flash)_

The girl witnessing the disturbing scene lets out a small scream of fright, staggering back fast with a flail of her arm.

 _W-What the hell was-?!_

(Bump)

"Aaah!" "Ouh!"

She would wind up colliding with another body in the process, and both would go tumbling down to the sands below...A twin set of soft groans would sound, one belonging to Athena as she rolled off of whoever she slammed into.

"Aww, man..."

"...Athena?"

"Uh!...Astral...?"

Turning her head left, she would find herself locking irises with her friend from beyond these celestial regions, he just as surprised by the, 'sudden reunion'.

"...Astral...Oh, shoot!"

Darting to a sitting position, the girl then hurries to her feet before reaching a helping hand to the blue-skinned being.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to body-slam you like that; I just-...Wait...our, hands..."

Fixating her gaze onto the joined appendages, she meekly comments to herself in awe,

"They're...not, going through eachother..."

Smiling the slightest at the astonished expression on his friend's face, Astral postulates,

"Yes, I too am surprised...though it may due to the nature of this dimensional space that we are, able to touch one another..."

He then takes in a sharp breath, snapping back to a serious demeanor.

"But now is not the time to wonder; we have more pressing matters to address."

Shifting so he was lightly holding the girl's shoulders, the being asks with a bit of urgency,

"Athena, what in the world are you doing in here, and in the middle of a duel nonetheless?"

"Well, actually, I'm not all here; my subconscious is still driving the bus outside...I could sense the clashes between Utopia and Black Mist, and I guess the Key must've heard my worries and decided to bring me in here."

Forming her own firm expression, Athena adds,

"I managed to figure out how he was packing that extra power, and freed the Numbers from his siphoning control. Still not sure how exactly I did it, but I did."

"Freed them?...But Black Mist said they were on his side."

"Then he obviously lied: he was using his powers to steal away their energy, hurting them, and according to Galaxy Queen, only Utopia was strong enough to resist and pop out to lend you a hand."

Humming in thought, Astral mutters with a taste of bitterness,

"That does seem to make a little more sense to that fiend's character...But what exactly did you do to free the other Numbers from his control?"

"Uuh, like I said, I'm not really sure..."

Looking down at her open left palm, the girl with the beige skin tries to explain with some confusion in her tone,

"It was really Galaxy Queen who guided me. She told me to touch her symbol on those pillars, which I did, if with a little resistance from the dark energies of Black Mist...When my fingers connected with the surface, there was this, coppery-gold glow that kind of, hacked away the darker power...until it was back to normal."

...Astral was silent for a moment after his friend finished her short revise of the event, before he reaches out to take the girl's hand under his own palm.

"Interesting...Perhaps while you are here within the Key, you gain access to abilities similar to my own..."

"You think?"

"It is possible. We do share the Zexal Power, and there is still so much about it we have yet to learn..."

"That's, true..."

Sensing the slight pause between words in her response, Astral looks up from their hands to see the rise of anxiety within Athena's facial features.

"...What is wrong?"

"I...I don't, know, but, while I am, accepting that, the Zexal Power is for our benefit...a part of me is, still scared..."

"Scared? But why?...Wait...That, fracture you touched a moment ago..."

Both beings turn to look over at the area on the end of the airship.

"...It showed you something, did it not?"

"Uh...!...(Gulp) Y-Yes..."

"I thought so. I had been feeling a strange vibe coming from that odd crack for a few weeks now, but nothing revealed itself to me when I touched it...It must have been waiting for you to come."

Turning so they were facing eachother, the boy from beyond the Milky Way asks his human companion,

"Athena...what did you see?"

"I-I-"

 **"Ah~, so you found eachother, did you?"**

"Gh!" "Rh!"

Jolting on alert, the pair pivot sharply towards the sands nearing the airship, where Black Mist was floating!

 **"Well this just makes things a little easier for me, doesn't it? Now I won't have to hunt you both down one at a time. (Grin) _I can ensnare you together in one shot._ "**

Athena makes a sound of nerves, just as Astral moves her behind him in a protective manner, shooting an indignant glare at the Number.

"I will not allow you to touch her, Black Mist."

An awed expression and light blush dusts the girl's cheeks:

 _Ah...Astral..._

 **"Oh my, don't we sound protective? Heh, your desires for the human girl's safety will be your undoing, Astral...See for yourself!"**

The pitch-black being then sends several tendrils at the other two, and the boy with mismatched gold/silver-white irises snatches up the hand of the girl with ember-red irises to pull her downward away from the incoming lunge.

"Get down!"

"Auh!"

They dive forward, sliding against the sandy grounds, creating a powdery could of white in the process before they scramble up to dodge another attack...The pair was soon making their way upward away from this fabric of time and space.

"Quickly, Athena, you must return to your body!"

"But, I can't just leave you in here!"

"You have to, otherwise we will both be at Black Mist's mercy...Uh, look out!"

This time, they're forced to let their hands go in order to dodge the lunging tendril...but what they weren't aware of was that it was meant as a form of distraction, so that a second one could sneak up behind Athena and grab her before she'd have time to sense it, coiling around her arms and restraining them to her sides!

"Aagh!"

Astral cries out her name and tries to hurry over to free her, but would be forced to a halt when another tendril fastens around his left ankle!

 **"Got you!"**

"Hrh!"

Now that he had a grip on both parties, all Black Mist had to do was stretch the elasticity of their restraints so that they were bound heavily from ankles to upper torso, before floating up to their proximity, a victorious smirk on his face all the while.

 **"Hehahahuhuh, so sorry, but I'm afraid neither one of you shall be escaping your fates. You will join me and _become me_."**

Athena felt a shiver go down her spine at the dark tone in the Number's voice, and immediately began to struggle.

"Rgh, mph!...I don't understand why you're doing this, Black Mist!"

 **"Mm?"**

"You're one of Astral's Numbers, for crying out loud, a part of him! You should be helping him, not plotting conspiracies and terrorizing him! What could you possibly have to gain?!"

Zooming in so he was but a foot away from the girl, the Astral look-a-like replies in an matter-of-fact sort of tone,

 **"What else is there to gain but power?"**

"Rrgh, that's the stupidest reason I've ever heard...!"

 **"You understand nothing, you weak little human!"**

He reaches to yank Athena's head back by a lock of her hair, hissing,

 **"Which is why you're better off being no more than a mindless dueling slave!"**

"Leave her alone, Black Mist!"

Pivoting his head, he meets the blazing eyes of Astral who looked, uncharacteristically, quite ready to strangle the evil being.

"If you hurt her, I swear I will make you regret the day we first met!"

The being with the mismatched gold and black irises was actually a little surprised by this sudden burst of anger...before curving his lips into an unpleasant smile, releasing Athena's hair and backing a little so that he was facing them both.

 **"Now now, calm down; your little host's life will not be ending today...for you see, (grin) _I shall be infecting you both with my power_ , absorbing you, and turning the girl into my little puppet to control."**

Both the human and celestial being shudder at the prospect...

...Tuning back in with the outside world for a short while, we find that the duel wasn't going in any better a direction, quickly teetering in favour of Nistro and Dextra, despite the subconscious Athena's maneuvers of defense. She now stands at 100 Life Points...and yet, much to the weirdness of everyone watching her, no matter how much force threw her back, the girl in the black pleated skirt, colour-matching leather jacket and white tube top still rose from the ground with ease...Though by 'rose', she was lifting herself in an awkward fashion that likened somewhere between a marionette and a zombie.

"Okay, this is starting to get really creepy. She's just, taking the blows like they're nothin', and hardly saying a word..."

The young woman with short, two-tone purple hair was having similar thoughts to her partner's.

 _It's as if she's completely lost interest of the duel...yet these moves, while amateur, still have some focus._

"Summoning Card Car D, Attack Mode."

This monster was on the weaker end, Level Two with only 800 Attack Points, but it seemed to make up for it by having slick, showstopper design of blue...and a very useful ability.

"Activating Card Car D's Special Ability, Turbo Draw, to draw two new cards from deck."

The road machine swerves around and makes a speeding charge back, going so fast that it shifts into a beam of light to bounce onto Athena's deck...She swipes up the cards, and looks down to see the following.

 _Dou-ble, or No-thing...Double, Ten-sion..._

 _How to use them...How..._

Though wary of the strange blankness and near unfeeling in all aspects behaviour, Tiffany could still tell when her friend was at a crossroads over what to do.

"...Addy..."

The subconscious-driven girl's head tilts to the side several times as she tries to think with only half a full mind, the movements further confusing her opponents.

"Hm? Now what's up with the kid?...Is she finally giving up?"

"I don't know..."

Athena's POV

 _...Oh, no...The duel..._

I got another reading through the eyes of my subconscious in terms of where the duel's gone to...and it wasn't good.

 _Dammit, what am I suppose to do with two Spell Cards like that?_

 _...Damn...I...I'm gonna fail. I'm gonna fail there, and here...!_

It took all the self-control I had to keep myself from screaming in a mix frustration and torment over things taking a turn for the worst...but I couldn't stop the little angry tears forming in the corners of my eyes, to which Black Mist would not waste time in mocking me for.

 **"Oh yes, I'm afraid you have failed quite badly, Athena...in both the duel, _and in saving Astral._ "**

"N-No...!"

Next thing I knew...I started to feel this cold wave of power seep into my skin, like someone was dipping me into liquid nitrogen. There was no real pain involved, but the sensation...it almost felt like I was slowly drowning! Compression of my lungs, tightness in my throat, limbs getting heavy...I tried to fight it, squirming in the tendrils binding me, but I couldn't escape.

"Aa-aah!...R-Nyh! Hah-gya!..."

 _No! No! S-Stop! Make, it, stop...!_

Astral wasn't having any better a time, he also feeling the pressures of this creep's energies spreading in his vitals like a crazy virus, though with less thrashing on his part.

"Rgh!...Agh, A-Athe-na...!"

Helpless, all I could do was pivot my head a little to his direction, he doing the same, until we were looking at one another with different levels of pain in our eyes, his more physical, while mine...held more of a spiritual quality.

"A-Astral...!"

 _Astral...I-I'm so sorry; I should have, left while I could..._

 _Oh god, why?! Why must things go wrong this way?!_

 _(Flash)_

 _The lab room, my thrashing, screeching form..._

 _(Flash)_

 _My apparent descend into insanity while trapped in that holding cell..._

 _(Flash)_

 _The bounce of the wires on the wrestling ring._

 _(Flash)_

 _The stench of sweat and blood from my own body and my opponents; jeers, catcalls, roars from wayward kids, like me._

 _(Flash)_

 _The monster in the mirror. Oh god, that monster!_

 _(Flash)_

A small scream dislodges from the clenched muscles of my esophagus, my vision flooded with horrible memories both vivid yet surreal. It felt like my very head was going to explode from the mental pressures...which in itself, also felt horribly familiar...

 **"Oh dear, you really have been living a rather unfair life, haven't you?"**

My breaths have become haggard, wheezy, my eyes too watery with tears I've yet to release, so when I focused on the sound of that, damned Number, his figure was blurred...Yet, I could sense that if he was smiling, it wasn't in the kind sort of sympathy.

 **"I will admit this much: you have survived an admirable amount of torture in your short years, for a human...But can sense the agony in your heart, my dear. You're still suffering."**

Though my voice was weak and shaky, I managed to croak out,

"W-W...Wha', is y-your, point...?"

 **"...You want the pain to stop, do you not? Your inner pain?"**

I hear a shift in the air, before feeling Black Mist's presence behind me, his lips by my right ear as he croons,

 **"You are being consumed by your depression, correct?...I can take that feeling away."**

"W...What?"

 **"All you have to do is surrender to my whims, and I can remove those grieving emotions in your soul, take away the pain...You would have nothing more to trouble yourself with. Those terrible memories, gone, like they never happened."**

 _...Like they, never happened..._

"...You...can do that?"

I could feel the small grin forming at my interest:

 **"Yes, I can. Merely stop resisting, relax...Allow me into your spirit, Athena, and you will have nothing to fear again."**

...I was so weak, so done with the constant mental torture, that even a deal with the devil sounded promising...I closed my eyes, and slowly let down my guard, the oozing power rising higher and higher over my body as I prepare to just, let it all go...

"A...Athena! D-Don't, listen, to him!"

My eyes snap awake to the sound of Astral's protest, and I glanced over to his direction, albeit with some difficulty, seeing him struggling to keep his own will in tact.

"A...s-stral..."

 _Astral...I, I don't think I can, hold on...I'm sorry. (Broken smile) I guess I'm not as strong as I thought I was, huh?_

 _Athena...please, do not give up._

 _Why?...It's like the pretentious asshole said: I'm suffering. Have been, for too long...I can't kid myself anymore, Astral. There's no hope for me._

 _Yes, there is. There is always hope; that much, you have taught me._

My eyes widen the slightest, and my friend forms his own fragmented yet gentle smile.

 _Athena...you are much stronger than you believe yourself to be. Yes, you have been suffering, but you have also been resolving to heal. How can you think to throw all that you have worked for away, and give your will to someone like him?_

 _Astral..._

 _Answer me this: out of every moment in time up until now, when life looked its bleakest, have you actually put any true thought of just...ending it all?_

 _..._

 _..._

 _...Well, no. Not really...I'm too stubborn to quit._

I swore I heard a hint of a chuckle echo through my mind before Astral replies through our link,

 _Exactly. Much too stubborn. And not only that, but you have been slowly allowing others, myself included, into your heart to help heal the wounds._

 _...Yeah, I guess I have, haven't I?...My god...what the hell was I thinking? Giving into Black Mist; no way am I this pathetic._

 _No, you are not. This is merely, a moment of weakness, which I've observed to be a rather common trait among humans...But these moments do not define who a person is._

 _Right...They only make us stronger, more determined to make our mark._

"I-I-I...I, a-am stron-ger...than this..."

I hear Black Mist make a sound of confusion, but I just blocked him out, my sole focus being on the one person here who hasn't given up on me, knows me almost as well as I know myself...In this case, a little better.

 _Astral...thanks. (Small smirk) Now let's kick this poser's ass._

He nods at me a little...and then, by some act of combined resolve, we fought out an arm each from our main tangles of the Number's tendrils, and slowly, inch by inch, reach towards one another, much to our enemy's disbelief.

 **"What's this?!...No!"**

In a desperate attempt to stop us, he tried to tighten our limbs down, but we just pulled through the pressure, our eyes only for eachother.

"As-tral...!"

"A-the-na...!"

...

A few seconds later, our fingers would intertwine. A strange tear drop sound echos through the atmosphere...before our bodies began to glow that same gold amber light that shone a little bit ago when I helped the other Numbers, mixed with a bit of that neon light blue I remember from, our Zexal transformation (I'd find out later from Tiff that this same light was shining out from the Key)!

"Uh...!"

 _Holy-...What is..._

"Athena."

Focusing back, I see Astral smiling at me, the black that was darkening his skin beginning to fade away, while parts of the bindings trapping him were slowly being overtaken by that blue.

"I can feel our connection, rising again. It is going to be alright."

I was a bit taken aback at first...before finding myself smiling a little back with a firm nod...Now as for Black Mist, well, you can imagine how much of a happy camper he was that he was getting trumped, again. Currently, he's shielding his eyes like a vampire from sunlight.

 **"Aaaarh! Aaaauuhh! It, feels like I am losing my hold on the two of you...!"**

Tightening my grip on Astral's hand, he doing the same, we retort respectively,

"That is due to the bond between Athena and I! We out-power you!"

"And you can take that back where you belong, under lock and key! You'll never subdue us!"

 **"Impossible!"**

That was when our power became too great for the Number's physical structure, and he began to evaporate right before our very eyes, the tendrils loosening and falling off our bodies...Then with one final outcry, that creep was gone...

"Ha! Yes, free at last!"

I did a little spin and fist-pump:

"Take that, Black Mist!"

Astral just smiled in amusement at my excitement, before gently taking my hand again to get my attention.

"Yes, I too am glad we were able to overcome his power...Athena."

"Yeah?"

"...Thank you."

"Uh...Mm, (small smile) anytime, and, right back at you, for bringing me back to my senses before I made a deal with the devil."

Our gazes then turn to the skies above, where the exit would be.

"So. Guess we better head out and take care of that other battle, huh?"

"That would be wise. I am certain that your opponents and friends have become quite suspicious of your, subconscious's behaviour by now."

At that, we started to fly our way out of this place...

...

There's another bright flash of light, before I found myself blinking back to the real world, in my real body.

"Mm, (blink) urh...What a trip..."

Astral had appeared by my side just a few seconds after I came back to earth.

"Are you feeling alright?"

Looking down at myself through the light that had yet to die down from my friend's body, I noted the scratches and bruises that littered my own, most being on my bare legs and knuckles.

"Mm, a little battered, but no more than usual in a duel."

Before Astral could reply, Nistro's exclaim cuts into our conversation:

"What is that?!"

We turn to see that he and Dextra were staring our way in disbelief...I then realize,

 _Uh oh. Everyone can see Astral's outline...!_

Tiffany and Flip's cheers do ease me a little:

"Astral! You're here!"

"Just when we needed ya!"

But then my concerns rise back up when I catch Dextra muttering,

"That must be the envoy that came from Astral World...!"

 _What?...How do they know about Astral World?_

I was ready to blow up with like, a ton of questions, until Astral - whose body had stopped glowing at this point - brought me back on task.

"Athena, we must focus on the battle. We can postulate about their knowledge later."

"Um...right. (Looks to the battlefield) Sooo, is there a good way to come back from this point? I think my-eh, subconscious was just scrapping by in a Go-Fish manner..."

"Hmm...I believe so...Yes, do not worry: your subconscious has laid out the pieces required."

My eyes widen a little in surprise:

"Really?...Huh. Who would've thought?"

Sending a smile my way, my friend from beyond this world further punctuates,

"We can win this, together."

His positivity was a nice change in the moods that have been clogging the air, making me smile back.

"Right...Together."

No POV

With the human/celestial being duo fired up and back to earth once again, the duel regains fuel to its proverbial fire. Astral instructs Athena on her next play:

"Alright, first, from your Graveyard, activate Overlay Eater's Special Ability!"

"On it!"

On the sidelines, Flip recalls the name of said monster:

"Ah! That's the monster Addy sent to the Graveyard earlier when she activated Gagaga Gardna's special ability!"

Tiffany wonders,

"But, what is their special ability?"

Her friend with light beige skin and the long, tamed-down black plait explains.

"Short version, by banishing Overlay Eater, I can steal one of my opponent's Overlay Units to give to one of my own XYZ Monsters."

"Aaah..."

The red-orange lizard monster pops his head out of the portal to the Graveyard...

"Go, Thieving Loll!"

They shoot their tongue out straight for Nistro's monster, Photon Strike Bounzer, snaring up their only Overlay Unit to toss over to Utopia on the other side of the field, he accepting it with a strong grunt. Smirking, Athena calls over to the young man with spiky, sooty-red hair,

"Good luck using your monster's special ability now, tough guy!"

"Grrh, although that move was clever, it won't save you!"

"Who says I was goin' after you?"

Focusing her ember red irises on Dextra's monster, she and Astral then command,

"Utopia: attack Photon Papilloperative!"

The angel warrior charges forward through the air, sword at ready, and while there was a fair enough difference of strength (his 1900 to Papilloperative's 1100), the young woman with chocolate brown irises remained confident.

"It's not enough damage to defeat me!"

"That's why I'm using Utopia's special ability, and stopping his attack!"

The little orb of yellow light crashes against Utopia's chest, and forces the sword to dormancy, much to Dextra and Nistro's shock.

"Wait, did you just say stop its attack?!"

"Haaauh!"

Moving so they were back-to-back, the young pair keep the ball rolling with their next card.

"Yes! And now I activate the Spell, Double or Nothing from my hand! Since I stopped Utopia's attack, this card allows me to attack again, only this time, his Attack Points are doubled!"

At that, the Number readies both of his swords, as his strength rose to 3900! Tiffany exclaims with a happy smile,

"Alright, now Utopia's stronger!"

 _And Addy...she looks alot better than she did earlier. I wonder what was going on before...?_

Her happy feeling wasn't shared by Flip, though, when he realizes,

"Still, not by enough, Tiff..."

But Athena and Astral would quickly dispel the bespectacled boy's worries.

"That was only part one of the power boost! I activate the Double Tension Spell! This allows me to double my monster's power when they're attacking for a second time!"

Flames burst across the XYZ Monster's body, spreading to envelop around the blades and lengthen them, as his Attack Points rose even higher before settling to a whopping 7600! Dextra's eyes went bug-wide as she barely manages to shout,

"I think we can start panicking now...!" Nistro didn't disagree:

"Th-That's for sure...!"

Neither the face of the being of blue nor girl of light beige showed signs of wavering courage as they prepare to make the final move.

"Are you ready, Athena?"

"Always."

Both then exclaim,

"Utopia, attack! Go, Rising Sun Supreme Slash!"

The fiery-glowing warrior angel dives downward, heading on a straight course for Photon Papilloperative, she and her wielder frozen to the spot with no way to dodge...That is, until Nistro makes a bold counter.

"I activate my Trap, Bounzer Guard!...Now I can redirect my attack, so it hits Photon Strike Bounzer!"

At that, his monster rushes over to where their partner was...

(SLASH)

And takes the hit meant for the other, sacrificing themselves, the explosion blowing back to Nistro to knock him backwards, all 4000 of his Life Points shot down in a single blow...! According to the rules set in the beginning, since one out of two opponents is now down for the count, Athena won the match...

The AR world give way as everyone logs off, the girl with red irises breathing out a sigh of relief, shoulders slumped with exhaustion.

 _Man, two battles at once can really drain ya..._

"Addy!"

She pivots her head to see the girl with black bobbed hair and cornflower irises, and the boy with brown D.A.-styled hair and black-gray irises run over to congratulate her, the second former wrapping her arms around the former's shoulders in a hug.

"You did it! You won the duel!"

Pushing out a chuckle, Athena pats Tiffany's head and mutters,

"Yeah, barely...Thanks for cheering me on, and, sorry if I freaked ya out earlier with that, 'rise from the dead' behaviour."

"No worries...but, what was up with that?"

"Long story. Tell ya later..."

Calming his jumping around a little, Flip comments with a relieved grin,

"Wow, for a minute there, I thought we were doomed! (Blubber) But then Astral showed up, to save the day!"

Athena just rolls her eyes:

 _Good grief..._

Meanwhile, the young woman in the white skirt with matching jacket had stepped over in front of her partner to inquire about his last-minute heroics.

"Why did you take that hit for me?"

"...I dunno..."

Nistro stands up, smiling through his scuffs and bruises.

"It just felt, right."

Dextra could only stare at him in amazement, while he directed his dark purple irises over at Athena with a neutral frown. Feeling the stare, the girl and her friends look over to see him walking towards them. Flip makes a sound of panic and ducks behind the girls, while Tiffany mutters,

"Oh great, now what?"

Athena places a hand on the other teen's arm, watching Nistro like a hawk as he stops a few feet away from eachother's proximity.

"...Hey, kid."

"Yeah?"

"We're gonna give your friend here a second chance like we agreed, though he won't be participating in this and any other Duel Carnivals for quite a while."

"(Stiff nod) Alright. That's fair, (glances behind her) _right_ , Flip?"

The bespectacled boy nods frantically, not wanting to say anything that could get him into more trouble hen he already had been. Turning back to the male with spiky, sooty-red hair, the girl with the long black plait naturally tipped copper red then asks,

"...There somethin' else you need to say? You've got that look in your eyes."

"Yeah, as a matter of fact, there is. Next time we duel, I'm taking you and the Original Number down!"

Athena's red irises widen a little...before she retorts back as strongly with a smirk,

"Keh, good luck trying's all I can say. We're a force to be reckon with...like you and Dextra are."

Nistro didn't expect the partial compliment, but his own smile doesn't waver.

"Hm...And now, we gotta go and get the jump on some more cheaters."

With that, he and Dextra hop out of sight...

"I could've easily beaten those bullies myself, of course, but it a~ll worked out anyway!"

Athena raises a delicate brow at her chuckling friend previously in major trouble.

"Tch, you still got kicked out of the tourney, Flip."

"De~tails, details; at least I still have my deck thanks to you and Astral."

"Mhm, yeah, be grateful for that..."

"There's that thieving Flip!"

"Hm?"

Turning their heads to the far right, the small group of four spots a couple of the kids Flip had flim-flammed not too long ago.

"We want our Heart Pieces, NOW!"

Letting out a yelp, the boy attempts to make a run for it, but was yanked to a halt by the back of his suit jacket, courtesy of Athena!

"Stop."

"A-Addy, let go!"

"Nuh-uh, dude. You gotta atone for your mistakes."

"Aw come on, have a heart...!"

At the same time Flip was about to get his comeuppance, the two older teens running the show for cracking down on dirty players were traveling down a mobile path within the secret headquarters of their employer to file their report of the hour...if with a few details left out.

"Dextra. I think we should keep our run-in with that Athena kid a secret from Mister Heartland."

"But why?"

"'Cause I'm gonna defeat that little spitfire, and the Original Number. I don't want Kite interfering."

 _I'm almost sure now that he and them have battled at least once...but that won't stop me from doing what he can't._

A little surprised by the statement, Dextra would then smile and reply,

"You got it."

...Then back outside the gates of Heartland City's inner core, those other duelists who were tricked in the 'Candy Piece Scam' were now walking away with their stolen Heart Pieces after Athena plucks them away from Flip and gives them back to their real owners.

"Ta~ke it easy, _Flip_." "See ya never!"

"Thanks, Addy." "Good luck, Addy!"

The girl waves the kids off with her free hand and a knowing smirk plastered on her face.

"See ya 'round the tourney, guys!"

Tiffany, who was standing on the sidelines with her hands held behind her innocently, shakes her head with an exasperated smile.

 _Hoh dear..._

"I hope that was a good topper for learning your lesson, Flip."

Athena sets the now somewhat disheveled young boy to his feet, he groaning a little with a pained smile.

"Ugh, no kidding...Least I'll still have one Heart Piece to hold onto as a keepsake."

"'Fraid not. That one's gone too."

"What?!"

Searching his pockets with flailing arms, Flip would discover that his friend wasn't kidding, much to his dismay.

"Gah, i-i-it is gone! Addy, you didn't!"

"Did. You won't be needing that Heart Piece now that you're out of the Carnival. Like I said, you should be grateful you still got your deck and haven't been booted out of the city."

...The boy drops to his knees with a small, over-exaggerated wail, exclaiming,

"You can be so cruel sometimes, Addy! Tough and fair, but cruel!"

"Oh cry me a river, Flip. Don't you know cheaters never win and winners never cheat?"

"Ugh, don't try and work that kind of logic on me!"

"Why? Someone's gotta get through that thick skull of yours."

"Grrh, you-!"

Tiffany just laughs lightly at the bickering friends, while Astral rolled his eyes in both his own exasperation and amusement...


	39. Cat yowls, Dog barks, Human raises brow?

Hey, people! So, just a heads-up before the chapter begins, two of the cards featured will be ones of my own creation.

Here's a bit of info about them beforehand:

1) Little Leo \- Level Four, 1300 Attack Points, Beast Monster

2) Amos, Lion of the Skies \- Rank Four, 2100 Attack Points, Winged Beast/XYZ/Effect Monster

Special Ability: Roar of the Pride - By using one Overlay Unit, and decreasing their attack strength by 1000, this monster can attack an opponent directly. Attack Points return to normal total at the end of the turn.

Their appearances will be detailed in the action itself.

Feel free to tell me what you think; read on and be happy!

* * *

A new hour leans closer towards the evening of this, the Second Day of the World Duel Carnival Preliminaries, and our view casts over to a seemingly abandoned metal dome building that was once part of an unknown factory...

Inside, we find a very large pack of dogs varying from strays to wayward pets gathered in front of a big blue crate, growling and snarling in anticipation for the one dog with dark blue/cream white fur (possibly a Blue Heeler) standing above them to give the order to disperse...

A howl is released, before that canine leaps off the crate in front of the rest to lead the charge out of the gutted building.

...

"Whoa, sounds like Cas and I missed alot while we were in the hospital recoverin' from that damn Quattro's dirty duel. Now I feel real glad that I saw him home before comin' to meet you guys here."

We now pan over to one of the city's main park complex areas, as Jamal catches up with his friends Athena, Astral, Tiffany and Flip on recent events while he was in recovery. Other than sporting a bandage on his left cheek and around his left elbow, along with forgoing his green button shirt since it got scuffed up during his last duel (exposing his white t-shirt branded with the Red-Eyes Black Dragon image), the young male with olive coco-brown skin looked like he was doing well.

His expression is currently set in serious mode, mind you, as he processes the new information conveyed by his only friend remaining in the Duel Carnival, from what happened aboard the airship to the most recent two-on-one match she had with Nistro and Dextra...which wasn't the only battle she'd be participating in during the time...

"So, not only did you have another brief run-in with that creep Trilos after the airship freakout, but you also got into a fight with Number 96 inside the key, while you were duelin' those regulators to keep Flip from facing some super gnarly consequences for cheating?"

At the same time the brunette boy with green glasses would laugh through his teeth with a nervous smile as Jamal give him a knowing smile-glare, the girl wearing the white tube top under her signature black leather jacket nods in confirmation.

"That's pretty much the short version of it."

"...Geez, you can't catch a break, can ya, kid?"

Athena shrugs with a somewhat wry and bitter smirk,

"'parrently not."

Stepping closer so there was but a foot or so of air between the two, Jamal then asks while placing a protective hand on the girl's shoulder,

"You, are okay after that inner ordeal, right, you and Astral? From the sounds of it, Black Mist was trying to surge his darkness into you two..."

Blowing out a small puff of air, Athena nods a little numbly but assuredly.

"I'm managing, as is he. (Looks at Astral) We're mostly just glad to be back outside the Key again."

The being with blue skin bops his head in agreement, and the boy with olive-coco skin removes his palm while replying,

"Well, alright, if you're sure...But if you guys need to talk about anything later, don' hesitate to speak up."

"Right."

A pregnant pause comes to hover over the group...before the other girl with the black bob of hair and lime green halter top under a baby blue vest suddenly crosses her arms and purses her lips while thinking aloud,

"That aside, what's really puzzling me right now is how Nistro and Dextra could possibly know about Astral World. The only person I can think of who has that kind of knowledge and hasn't been a friend to us...is Kite."

The four humans and one Astral World being stiffen simultaneously at the mention of the Number Hunter, before Athena goes into her own train of thought over the new details laying atop that invisible table.

"Well, those two were using Photon Monsters, the same type that he uses, so there's a connection there...And Nistro and Dextra both work for the mayor of our grand city...I wonder..."

Flip cuts into the red-eyed teen's cognitive rail line with a question.

"Hang on: you're not thinkin' that Mister Heartland somehow knows about Astral and his homeworld, are ya?"

"I am...I remember during the day before this tourney began: he looked abnormally interested in my pendant...And while Kite may not admit it directly, I can see that he's not doing what he's doing purely for his own agenda, rather, for a higher-up unknown to us...until now."

Athena dips her face back up straight to look at the other four in the eyes.

"You guys remember when Mister Kay helped us track down Kite to that warehouse?"

"Uh-huh..." "Yeah..."

"Yep." "Yes."

"Who'd the teach' identify as the owner of that warehouse?"

...A wave of realization washes over the young souls.

"Mister Heartland!"

"Exactly."

Jamal forms a frown as he begins wondering aloud,

"But if that's all true...then what the heck does Heartland want?"

The shorter male with the D.A.-styled brown hair reasons,

"Probably the same thing alot of people have been going after: the Number Cards...Uh! So that would mean, (looks at Athena) your suspicious vibe was right all along, Addy. There is something happening on the flip side of this Carnival!"

"Told ya. My gut's never lied to me before...But I'm not gonna start a panic session over this gathered info. That just won't do at all."

A small smirk curves onto the blackette's lips as she concludes,

"I'm not the kind of person who backs down easy if I can help it. I'll just need to act like I have eyes in the back of my skull from here onward, so I don't get caught completely by surprise."

Her friend with the aqua green irises forms a smile and nudges a fist against her upper arm in a friendly mock punch.

"That's the right attitude, bud, 'specially since now that Flip's out of the tourney, you're, or, should I say, (glances at thin air) you and Astral are the last competitors still in it for Number Seekers Anonymous."

Tiffany and Flip emit the lightest of groans from hearing that familiar secret club name, but with smiles on their faces all the while...

"Jamal is correct."

Athena pivots around to look up at Astral, who then says,

"Only the very best duelists now remain, Athena...and so..."

"(Nod) Right. I gotta be at my par to keep us in the running."

The girl with cornflower blue irises suddenly remembers,

"Oh! Wait wait! Addy and Astral aren't our only friends still competing in the Carnival."

"Tiffany's right."

Everyone jumps and spins around to where the bench nearest to their proximity was, spotting noneother than Caden Katherine, a small but somewhat prideful smile on his face as he sat on the polished wood. His clothes, much like Caswell, hadn't changed since the first day, still comprised of the gray dress-shirt with matching skinny jeans, a fake sandy-brown tail spotted with gray peeking out from around the tailbone area, a sandy-brown undershirt, the black collar choker with a silver star charm, and black-gray high-top converses.

Uncrossing his arms, which displayed those gray gloves with the sharp, white claw-like nails, he rose to his feet and started a walk over to the group.

"I've managed to avoid getting knocked out of the tournament."

"Oh! Cade, hey!" "Caden!"

"Good ta see ya, dude!"

Jamal then asks,

"How far along have you come completing your Heart Piece?"

"See for yourself."

Caden pulls out his special tournament ante, displaying two jewel fragments in the left side.

"It's not as much as I would've liked, but still, it's something."

Athena nods and replies encouragingly,

"Hey, I call that progress. (Wry smile) Mind you, you're gonna have to step on it a little if you wanna reach the finals. (Pulls out her Heart Piece) As you can see, I've been lucky - or unlucky - enough to be a magnet for trouble and having people coming after me."

"Yes, I've been keeping tabs through my purrfect sources on what's been going on with my friends. (Worried smile) Sounds like no one wants to leave you alone for even an hour or two."

"Keh, I wish I could get that long of a break!"

The two teens laugh a little, sharing an exchange of mirth and, friendly endearment...the latter half the expressions causing a bristled feeling to rise in the blue-skinned being.

 _Hm, here is once more: this unpleasant sensation in my chest..._

 _They are but just friends, (very light glare) yet still. Why am I not comfortable with these moments of, affection, between Athena and Caden?_

Little time would be given to this familiar question of Astral's, when suddenly, a little red-brown Shiba Inu comes leaping between the two teens on his mind, and snatches up Athena's Heart Piece between its teeth!

"Auh, hey!"

The small dog does not slow upon landing from its jump, running off with four other canines for who knows, much to the victim's dismay.

"What the hell?! Come back here, ya mutts! Heel!...Urgh!"

As the girl grips her copper red-tipped black plait of hair with a frustrated groan, Flip comments,

"Looks like the only command those mutts follow is Fetch."

As Jamal shoots the shorter boy a pointed expression, Tiffany asks aloud in worry,

"What'll you do, Addy?! Without those Heart Pieces-"

"I know; I can kiss my spot in the finals goodbye!...Okay, okay, can't work myself into a tissy; I need to think..."

Seeing his more treasured friend fighting against the tides of despair made Caden's heart ache...so he would quickly decide to offer his own special brand of assistance. Forming a determined expression, he spins around to face one direction of the path through the park, before letting out a very loud feline call to arms!

"Mrraaaaooooooow!"

His outcry bounced off the walls of the many city buildings throughout Heartland, reaching the ears of several cats from his clouder of feline friends. They do not hesitate to heed the call, and hurry to where their human companion was. Caden's friends would be awed by the sudden appearance of more than a dozen cats standing before them.

"Whoa..." "Huh?"

"Where'd these guys come from?"

"Cade...did you make a cavalry call or somethin'?"

Smiling the slightest, the boy with sharp brown irises replies to Jamal,

"Something like that. They're my friends from the animal world who've been with me for a long time."

He kneels down to pet the one cat with light blue fur and that little gold ring on its tail, before straightening up with a more serious frown on his face.

"And I called them here to help get back what those dogs just stole."

Brandishing out a single arm, Caden then rings out a strong feline growl, giving the dozen or so true cats the order to start tracking down the canine thieves...Watching them go for a second, he then turns to add with an almost sheepish smile and tiny blush,

"I don't know exactly how, but, I've just had this ability to communicate with cats for as long as I can remember."

Tiffany compliments,

"It's certainly a unique ability, that's for sure."

"Thank you...Now, we wait."

It would be about twenty minutes...before a few of the cats sent out for the search would return with good news.

"Ah, prefect. They found the hideout of those dogs...Let's go!"

So with Caden and his main feline friend leading the charge, the small group of teens would run all the way to that abandoned factory building posted outside the bulk of the city near the river...

Wandering through the rusty doorway now, Jamal comments,

"Seems a little dingy for a hideout...Hang on, wasn't this place an old manufacturing plant at some point?"

Athena replies,

"Yeah, I think it mass-produced tires or something else to do with cars. Terry would know a little more; one his auto classes did a field trip down to this area once...Hm?"

Her ears then pick up on the sound of several canine growls melded into a single entity, and looks forward to meet the several pairs of irises belonging to the roughly two dozen dogs of that pack from earlier...

"Uuuh, alright, we found 'em...Now how'do we get back Addy's Heart Pieces without becoming a pile of chew toys?"

Caden replies to Flip while moving to the red-eyed girl's left side,

"By making our own stand and showing our own prowess."

In which case, the boy in the cat-themed garb was referring to the much larger mass of felines that made their way into the factory building, who growled and hissed at the snarling dogs...

"We don't have to worry. These mongrels are just acting tough."

Tiffany shifts closer to Jamal's side as she inquires with a nervous stutter,

"Y-Y-You sure about that? Those rows of teeth say otherwise..."

"He's sure."

"Mm?"

Eyes fall on Athena's form, she overlooking the dogs with a calmer air similar to Caden's when she connects this grandstand to events she was more familiar with.

 _Putting aside the obvious species difference, their overall behaviour's not too far off from the unruly young guns I once knew at the Fallen Stars..._

 _The tough talk was all show so they're not seen as weak...which is exactly the intent of these mutts._

Caden then calls out,

"Now roll over like good little pups, and give Addy back her Heart Pieces!"

The dogs just growl a little more...until a new voice cuts in.

"Make way for the pack leader!"

The defensive aggression immediately drops from the canines, making way for a new level of collective nerves...directed towards a rather large chocolate brown Shepard, whom had a scar running down his right eye, and wore a strange barrel device with two bug red horns at its ends atop his back, held on with a thick white rope tied around his upper torso and around near his neck like a harness.

"Now what's all this about?"

To say that the humans and one being from outside this world were surprised to see a talking canine would be an understatement. Athena and Tiffany exclaim respectively with dumbfounded expressions,

"Gh! That dog can talk?!"

"Since when do dogs know human speech?!"

The Shepard stops in front of the stolen tournament ante:

"What's this here? Someone's Heart Pieces?"

He looks over the other dogs with disdain, quickly putting the story together.

"You stole this, didn't you? You're _bad boys_. YOU'RE ALLLLL BAD BOOOYS!"

Flinching back from the echo of that very stern and angry scold, Athena then asks aloud,

"Okay, someone mind offering any explanation that can make sense of this?"

Flip was just as confused:

"Yeah, how's that big dog know about Heart Pieces?!"

Calming down, the brown-coat Shepard addresses the strangers in the room.

"I don't typically beg, but in this case, I will. Please, accept my apology for any trouble that my pack may have caused you."

"...Um, whatever, as long as I-"

Athena's interrupted by Caden, who was not quick to accept the 'I'm sorry' from these canines.

"Apologies, you say? How about instead you apologize for not keeping your mutts on a tight leash?!"

"Now now. They've been disciplined, so let's just move on."

"I think not! Your dogs have been causing quite a heavy amount of mischief as of late, and my tolerance has reached its end."

The young male with the custom pageboy haircut points a clawed finger at the little canine that took Athena's Heart Piece in the first place.

"For example, I've caught that Shiba pup stealing steaks and other meats from the local butcher a number of times this past month."

He then directs his pointer to another dog:

"And that pug is making a nuisance of himself with his digging addiction, leaving holes all over where the city is green! It's a twisted ankle hazard waiting to happen!"

Caden's feline companions yowl and hiss in agreement with their human friend, also feeling that their rivals are becoming very cumbersome. The large Shepard, of course, was ready to retort, feeling heavily insulted.

"What? How dare you! Cats are worse than us: they sleep all day, and they scratch up anything they can get their paws on!"

A series of barks, snarls and yowls echo all over the room, banging against eachother like the terribly-played notes of two competing amateur bands, until the rough-toned leader of the canines shouts at them all to cut the noise.

"That's enoooough!...To settle this, we need to have a duel."

Once again, the bystanders of this growing quarrel are thrown into a loop.

"Have a duel?!"

Caden forms a lightly surprised expression...before curving his lips into a smirk and replying,

"An excellent idea."

His friends look at him like he's gone insane, while he ignores them and proposes,

"But if I win, you mongrels must leave Heartland City and never return."

Nodding, the Shepard counters,

"And if I win, then you cats beat it, forrrever!"

Tiffany forms a sad frown at this dispute:

"Aw, what a drag. I like both cats and dogs," and Athena facepalms while grumbling,

"All this bullshit just to get my Heart Pieces back? God help me..."

Astral, whom had been observing the situation in silence, finally makes his opinion known.

"This takes precedence, Athena. Cats and Dogs are age-old rivals. Finally, they have a chance to settle it..."

"Settle what?! This is a load of petty-feely crap, not a war between species!"

The challenge is met anyway regardless of any objecting protests, as Caden pulls out his Duel Monsters equipment at the ready.

"Duel Disk, set to action!"

The Shepard does the same, strapping his own black disk onto his left front leg.

"Duel Disk, get set!"

We see that Caden's gazer was a dark grey with sandy brown spots.

"Duel Gazer, show me the impossible, mreow!"

 **Augmented Reality Vision Link Established.**

The two large opposing parties take the fight to the top of the old factory building, with the dog pack sitting on one side, and the cats, humans and one Astral World being on the other.

"(Both Duelists) Let's Duel!"

Looking back and forth between the Shepard Dog and Caden, Athena then lets out a groan directed to the skies above.

"Uuugh, this is just taking the whole 'raining cats and dogs' phrase way too far. Forget my Heart Pieces for a second..."

She reaches over to gently scratch the head of that blue-furred cat that decided to hop aboard her shoulder.

"I just hope Cade doesn't trip over his own insults while taking down that mutt."

Her brown-eyed friend didn't look worried, and would make his first move with confidence.

"I'll be making the first pounce, if you don't mind! Draw! First, I summon Stray Cat to the field in Attack Mode!"

The Level One monster with 100 points of power rises to the field, much to Athena's confusion.

"Huh? That's a bit of a weak choice to start with..."

"It is, but that may be the plan."

The girl looks over at Astral in further befuddlement, while Caden forms a secretive smile as he peers over the rest of his hand.

 _Those mongrels will licking their chops to get a piece of my little stray...and when they do, they'll be feeling the blunt end of the switch._

"I then place two cards face-down! Your move, boy, if you got the guts behind those teeth of yours!"

The large canine with the odd apparatus on his back obliges, using his paw to slide a card out in a draw.

"It's time to let the dogs out now!"

The girls in the audience on Caden's side exclaim,

"He can draw too?!"

Jamal and Flip follow them in their own shout of,

"Now I've seen everything!"

"You ain't seen nothin' yet! I summon, Tribulldog!"

The monster rising to the field next was a Level Four with 1200 Attack Points, and harboured the appearance of a bulky dog made from light salmon pink metal and three purple bullseye-like points on its forehead and sides.

"And when Tribulldog is unleashed onto my yard, I'm allowed to summon another one from my hand."

Using his paw, the Shepard slides a card from the ground onto his duel disk, summoning another dog-themed monster similar to the first one, only with a white coat and two out of three bullseyes on its forehead.

"But that's not the only trick I know! Next I play Double Dog! Thanks to this Spell Card, when there are two Tribulldogs in my yard, I can summon another one straight from my deck!"

Athena and Flip note as the third black-coat metal dog rises to the field between the first two,

"Uh oh, that's three Level Fours..."

"Here we go...!"

"I now overlay this threesome of Tribulldogs, aaand, since I have, I can now build the Overlay Network! Which means things are about to get really rrrruff!"

Three streams of orange light go shooting into the red vortex on the battlefield...

"I XYZ Summon, Sumo King Dog!"

This XYZ Monster, Rank Four and with 2600 Attack Points, was definitely a part of the massive variety, making the very ground shake as it rose through the crumbling concrete. Their appearance was actually fairly similar to the Shepard's, only it was made of metal and mirrored that of a black-coated Rottweiler.

"Okay, seriously, how can a dog possibly know how to make that play?! I mean, I get that training can open the doors to some pretty amazing tricks, but still..."

"There is much about the animal kingdom you humans remain in the dark to. Perhaps this is one of those examples."

Athena shoots Astral a look and mutters,

"I dunno if that's suppose to be an insult to my species or not, so I'm just gonna let that one comment pass..."

Sensing the pending charge, Caden feels a little smirk tug onto his lips as he thinks,

 _That's it, fido, take the bait...and prepare yourself for a flurry of claws._

"Next up, I play the Spell Card, Pooch Party!"

A pair of balloon-like dogs wearing party hats rise on either side of Sumo King Dog, each Level One with no Attack Points to be had.

"This allows me to summon two Pooch Party Tokens out to my yard...And next, I activate the Equip Spell, Dog King! Go!"

The Shepard's XYZ rushes forward, before hopping into the air to attach with a thin-winged jet engine.

"And since Dog King will be joined with Sumo King Dog, my Sumo's Attack Points go up 500 points for every dog in my yard! I've got three, so that's a power boost of 1500 points!"

At that, Sumo King Dog's power rose to settle at a strong 4100! Athena curses,

"Damn, that canine's packin' heat. Cade better have a plan, or he's gonna be taken out in one hit...!"

"And now, gooo! Attack that little stray!...Heh, he's not even gonna see it comin'."

"Oh really? My stray begs to differ."

"Mm?"

Caden holds out his free hand with a knowing smile, and plays a counter.

"I activate the Trap, Cat Confusion! But don't let the title muddle you; I can lay it down easy. Since your monster attacked my little kitty, that attack is negated, and your monster returns to your hand."

The missiles launched from Sumo King Dog begin to fuzz out, but the Shepard didn't seem overly concerned that his attack was failing...or was it?

"I've been more confused chasing my own tail than by that card."

"Uh?"

"I play Sumo King Dog's special ability! Now, by using one Overlay Unit, I can negate, then destroy your Trap Card!"

At that, the XYZ shoots a beam of ringed yellow light straight at the Cat Confusion card, completely obliterates the Trap in an explosion. Astral was impressed and wide-eyed by the smooth counter to the counter.

"That, is an extraordinary ability."

Jamal calls out Caden's name, while the brown-furred shepard chuckles and comments,

"That card's gone to the dogs..."

"Wrong!"

"Whuh?!"

The smoke clears, revealing what appears to be a deep red umbrella with yellow eyes, belonging to a monster with the appearance of a young girl wearing a yellow raincoat with cat ears on the hood, Level Four and with 600 Attack Points.

"Before I took Sumo King Dog's attack, I played my other face-down, Cat Food! This tasty Spell allows me to tribute Stray Cat for Stray Cat Girl, and when she's in Attack Mode, she can't be destroyed in battle."

In other words, the young teen with sharp brown irises was able to escape total annihilation...though with a very low amount of life left.

"What difference does it make? You only have 500 Life Points left. You've been all but declawed! I place one card face-down and end my turn. Now that my turn is over, my Pooch Party Tokens are destroyed."

As soon as those pups popped, Sumo King Dog's attack power dropped down to 3100...

"My turn, then! Hope you're ready to feel a catastrophic strike from my claws, fleabag!"

"Fleabag?! I just had a bath!"

Blowing out an annoyed puff of breath, Tiffany cries out to the duelists,

"Enough with the childish insults! They're getting old!"

Acting like he didn't hear his cornflower blue-eyed friend, Caden swipes out his next card.

"My draw! I'll admit that you knocked some air out of me during that first turn, but I'll show why my felines always land on their feet...I summon forth, Little Leo in Attack Mode!"

This Level Four Monster had 1300 Attack Points, and stood as a young boy just a few years younger than his wielder, wearing a costume of a full-body suit of golden yellow fur with a tail longer than his legs with a brown tuff at the end, short little round ears atop his brown hair, and big cat paw gloves. He lets out a child's imitation of a fierce animal roar, before Caden continues on.

"I then Overlay him with my Level Four Stray Cat Girl, to build the Overlay Network, and XYZ Summon the most proud of all the wildcats...Pounce forth, Amos, Lion of the Skies!"

And the XYZ monster to come spinning up in a soar from the vortex, was a Rank Four with 2100 Attack Points, and held the imposing appearance of a very large, yellow-red furred lion with a prominent dark brown mane, and snow-white wings trimmed with golden amber fur protruding from its back...

The next gesture performed by the feline enthusiast would surprise his audience, when he takes a step forward, then kneels in respect to the beast before him.

"It's been a long time, oh mighty Amos...I humbly thank you for coming to help me in this duel."

...The enormous cat dips his head to the young man with sandy brown/grey hair in acknowledgement to the show of respect, prompting raised brows from Jamal and Flip.

"Uuh, alright then..."

"Here's somethin' else you don't usually see happening in a duel."

Tiffany would turn her head Athena's direction to ask,

"Is it normal to interact with duel monsters like this?"

Watching her friend currently doing battle, and recalling her own similar instances with a certain smaller but still very strong XYZ monster, the girl with red irises smiles a little and replies simply,

"...It can be."

Getting back to the duel, Caden will have straightened back up to add onto his latest plan.

"Next comes the Equip Spell, Catnip Turbine! This card allows me to increase the Attack Points of one of my cat monsters by 1200 points, giving Amos all the more strength he needs to tear apart your Life Points!"

A tornado of silver vine leaves comes streaming onto the field to circle the large, white-winged lion, the scent forcing a loud purr of satisfaction to rumble from his throat before covering it with an even louder roar, his power increasing to 3300! The brown-eyed boy's smirk falters a little as he adds,

"Unfortunately, due to Turbine's effect, my fierce friend won't be able to sink his teeth into your Sumo King."

Scoffing, the Shepard inquires with a mocking tone and laugh,

"So then what's the point? It's useless to you!"

Caden's upturn of mouth stretches again:

"Oh? Think again...I now activate Amos, Lion of the Skies's special ability! By using one Overlay Unit, and decreasing his power by 1000, I'm able to attack you directly!"

"That big cat can what?!"

"Go, Amos! Attack that dog directly with Roar of the Pride!"

The XYZ monster charges forward before letting out a near earth-shattering roar, its jaws releasing a striking yellow ring of energy to go blasting through the air and hit the talking dog hard, taking his Life Points down to 1800 Attack Points!

"Alright Cade, wayda hit 'im hard!"

Said boy felt a slight blush tickle his cheeks in flattery from hearing Athena's cheer, before he focuses on finishing up his turn.

"I end my turn with two face-downs...which also means Amos's strength returns to normal. (Small smirk) Hope you liked that taste of the wildcats, mutt."

"Grrh, you'll be feeling the bite of the hound as this duel goes on! No way I'm gonna roll over and keep taking this!"

...

As threatening and confident that retort may have been, it would lose its fire when we get a closer look at the Shepard's back...and see the true conveyer of these canine-themed sentences, in the form of a little girl with pink hair styled in a short bob with bangs customized to look like big, floppy ears framing her light ivory complexion, aqua blue eyes, wearing a pastel yellow/pink striped dress with a white kerchief tied over the collar, a white pompom tail, soft brown boots, and a light brown boater hat!

"You hear me?! I'll make ya sorry!"

...

The bystanders in the middle of the cat clouder exclaim in shock (save Astral),

"Where'd she come from?!"

Caden meanwhile, could only drop his jaw speechless...Noticing that the spotlight was now on her, the little girl with the dog-like features makes a few sounds of anxiety before ducking behind the big dog's back...

"Well...this would certainly explain the so-called 'talking dog' bit."

Flip looks at Athena incredulously for quickly switching to a nonchalant attitude about the new revelation.

"Really? That's your takeaway?! Did you not see that girl pop out of the barrel?!"

"My eyes are working fine, thank you very much!"

Walking over as a group so they were standing by Caden (who puts the AR on pause), Tiffany concludes,

"So this means she was dueling the entire time and not the Shepard."

Astral hums and comments,

"Interesting. So it is possible to train an animal to stand in for a duelist..."

Tilting her head slightly in confusion with a furrowed brow, his human dueling partner mutters,

"Only question is why?"

Caden would be the one to take the necessary steps for answers, crouching a little so he met this mysterious pinkette's irises with his own.

"Uhm, hi there...What do you go by?"

Keeping most of her form behind the Shepard, she mumbles,

"...-ip."

"I'm sorry, say that again?"

"...Pip."

Frowning a little at how timid her voice sounded compared to earlier through what's understood as a voice modulator, Caden decides to push a little further.

"Kindly speak up so we can all hear you."

Forming an irritated expression, the small girl obliges rather brashly, her soft, feminine tone getting lost in the fake, rough male voice again.

"I said my name's Pip! Is that loud enough?!"

Then upon realizing what she just did, Pip's face erupts into a very embarrassed blush before ducking back behind her Shepard dog companion...

"Thank you. Now then, Pip, could you please explain to us why exactly you're posing as a dog?"

"...That's easy."

Moving back out into view again, the pinkette shyly but clearly makes her case.

"You see, dogs are the most loyal animals there are, and loyalty is super-duper important to me...because you can't always count on people. They can be mean...But I can always count on my dogs. In fact, that's how I learned to duel in the first place."

She glances over at the big brown Shepard dog:

"Roscoe and I would practice on the beach all day long. That's how he learned to draw cards, and how he learned to make sense of the cards he saw. We became a team!"

Raising a brow, Jamal thinks to himself in half amusement,

 _I guess you really can teach an old dog new tricks after all..._

"And since I didn't want to be hurt by any mean people, well...I just thought, it'd be easy, to keep on dueling other people as a team too. That's when, I started hiding in the barrel and using this phony deep voice."

"...Not all people have dark hearts."

"Hm?"

Pip looks up to see Caden giving her a firm look, and he argues back,

"Humanity does have its faults, but we do understand what it means to be loyal. You would know that too if you hadn't chosen to hide in the shadows of your Shepard."

The pinkette whimpers and shuffles closer to Roscoe, causing the older teenage boy to shake his head in disappointment.

"There you go again, letting your anxiety get the better of you."

Athena's mouth forms into a frown at this exchange of attitudes, also not appreciating the meekness.

"Caden's got a point."

"I wouldn't bother, Addy. Based on the barking of her pack, Pip's mind is reserved to her current ways."

"Hm, and you're not wrong. I don't see her standing on her own two feet in the coming future, dueling or otherwise."

The barking and yapping starts to increase, making Pip whimper even more from the social pressures...

"Well, what're you waiting for, Pip?"

"Go back in the barrel!"

She snaps her aqua blue irises back up to meet that of the sharp brown and ember red.

"No, you're both wrong!"

"If we're wrong, then prove it to us, by not hiding anymore!"

"Show some courage like the wolves your pack descends from!"

Pip's eyes begin shining with tears, unsure of what to do...until a sharp bark from Roscoe catches her attention, and she looks up her right to see him staring at her intently...He nods, sending the message that it was time for the 'younger pup' to stand tall on her own, and she in turn would form a nervous but somewhat firm frown, clenching her fist determinedly.

 _Alright...I'll do it!_

"Duel Disk, set!"

She then shifts the paused AR duel's focus to her own gazer.

"We're ready to gooo!"

Smirking a little, Caden unfreezes the action as his friend move back out of the way to stand with the cats again.

"As are we."

The cats and dogs jeer at one another once more, and Astral comments more to himself,

"Simply amazing. A duel that was about dogs and cats, is now about a little girl coming out of her shell."

Glancing up at the blue-skinned being, Athena quirks back through their telepathic link,

 _Yeah, this makes alot more sense than the loser getting their animal buddies booted out of the city...Besides, there'd be a major cause of alarm from Heartland's citizens if all the cats or dogs suddenly ran out for good._

 _Very true._

Pip's voice cuts into their realm of conversation as she takes the first steps to dueling on her own.

"It's my turn now! I Draw! First, I play a Spell Card, one that's gonna make you howl! Go, Raise the Woof! Now, since I have no Level Three or above monsters in my yard, I'm allowed to summon four Woof Tokens!"

These Level One monster tokens were different than the Pooch Party Tokens, harbouring an appearance similar to mini Dachshunds.

"And with more dogs in play, Sumo King Dogs gains more Attack Points! 2000, thanks to my Dog King's effect! Now Sumo, rise to the air, and attack Amos, Lion of the Skies!"

The 5100-strengthened XYZ Monster floats upward on the wings of its jet engines, and readies to fire its rockets...

"I play my Trap, Gold Coins for Cats! Because you aimed to attack Amos, half of your monster's Attack Points are added to his total!"

So now the winged lion's strength rested at 5850, making Caden's victory assured...in theory.

"I play Sumo King Dog's special ability! Now, by using one Overlay Unit, your Trap's effect will go bye-bye!"

With Gold Coins for Cats taken out in one blast of power, Amos would be left growling in indignation as his boost disappears and his Attack Points drop back down to 3300, making him weaker than Sumo King Dog! Athena curses through her teeth, and Tiffany mutter with a worried frown,

"What will Caden do now? Without that power boost, Amos will be taken down."

"Not quite, Tiffany."

"Hm?"

She looks over at the boy of topic, who was smirking rather than cringing.

"You see, I expected such a move from that giant mutt, but here's the thing: Sumo may be able to stop Traps, (grin) _but he can't stop Spells_."

Pip forms an expression of worried surprise, and Caden activates his second face-down.

"Go, Counter Meowsure! Since you destroyed one of my Traps, I can retaliate by destroying a Trap or Spell on your field, and the Attack Points of my monster are doubled for the rest of this turn!"

"Doubled?! Oh no!"

"Now, which card...Let's go with Dog King, and reduce Sumo King's power back to 2600! Meanwhile, Amos will be roaring up to 6600...Need I explain the situation any further?"

Pip winces, feeling much smaller and in the dark than before.

 _...He's right. I'm gonna lose. Guess I should've never come out of that barrel._

 _Guess I should've stayed away from people..._

She's interrupted out of her negative thoughts when Roscoe nudges her with his snout, and they look eye-to-eye for a moment, before Pip looks down again, feeling ashamed that she was feeling ready to give up already...

"Eyes forward, Pip!"

"Hm?!"

Aqua blue irises meet that sharp brown, and Caden asks,

"Or are you prepared to surrender that quickly?"

She lets out a small yelp, before holding a hand over her heart with another nervous whimper...

"You better not be throwing in the towel, kid!"

Eyes turn to Athena, who was looking at Pip with a glare that wasn't antagonizing, but rather, reflected the hardness of a no-nonsense teacher.

"Winning and Losing are not the focus points of this match. This is about finishing what you started...Keep dueling to the end no matter the outcome, Pip!"

Sensing her friend's intent, Tiffany smiles and calls,

"Yeah, she's right, Pip! Don't quit now when you've come this far!"

Smirking knowingly, the girl with the copper red-tipped black plait adds,

"You were talkin' about Loyalty earlier, right? If it's truly that important to you, then affirm your own loyalty with your cards as your pack does with you."

...Pip looks down at her deck, then at the face-down on the field, before feeling the words sink in and her worries wash away from her facial expression.

"You're right...I've got to stay loyal! There's still some fight left in this dog!"

She turns to her pack of dogs with a smile:

"And I know there's still some fight within all of you!"

The canines, Roscoe included, all howl in unison, showing that they believed in their human leader...

"I play my Trap Card, Superior Howl! With this, by destroying one of my Equip Spells, I can return all monsters on the field to their original Attack Points."

At that, Sumo King Dog's total remains on 2600, while Amos, Lion of the Skies holds himself strong to the current of wind blown his way as his Attack Points dropped back to their original 2100...Yet, Caden wasn't worried, smiling in fact for his opponent's return of courage.

"Well, little pup, it seems you're about to have your dog's day...I commend you."

"Now goooo, Sumo King, attack Amos!"

So with no more cards left in Caden's arsenal to protect his monster, the winged lion would be charged at by the giant metal Rottweiler, both exchanging a brief fight of swiping front paws, before the latter monster strikes the muzzle of the former hard, making them fly towards the ground and bust apart in a cluster of pixels! The impact would blast further backwards to the boy with sandy-brown/gray hair, who lets out a yell as his last 500 Life Points are eliminated, he tumbling back in a stone's hop to the hard roof floor...

"Huh? I won?"

The shock lasts for a few more seconds, before Pip lets out a little giggle and jumps with a fist-pump to the air, happy and proud of her accomplishment.

"Yaaay!"

On the other side of the fading AR field, Caden struggles to get up into a sitting position, his cats coming to circle him. He shares a smile of assurance with the one with blue fur and the gold ring on its tail, knowing that this loss was more of a win...

"You alright there, tiger?"

"Hm?"

Pivoting his head left, he sees Athena reaching a hand towards him with a small smirk...before forming a similar expression and grasping the offered appendage.

"Yeah, I'm good."

...

The whole mass will then have moved off the roof and out of the abandoned factory building, over towards the grassy incline leading to the upper level sidewalks. By this time, the sun had began its slow dip from the sky, its rays starting to cast a rosy orange hue over the blue...

"I used to think that only a dog could be my best friend...but now I know better."

Pip holds out Athena's stolen Heart Piece to the latter, who takes it while replying a bit kindly,

"I imagine you do. Thanks..."

"Pip?"

Eyes turn to Caden, who kneels a little to present his own World Duel Carnival ante to the little girl.

"These are for you."

"What? But, they're yours...!"

"Correction: they were mine, until you won our little match."

"...Really?"

"Truly, Pip."

Taking the Heart Pieces with astonishment still written on her face, Pip watches as her previous opponent turns attention to their other species friends.

"Cats and Dogs may have their differences, but underneath, there's alot more similarities that can make for becoming good friends...We're all the same, really."

"Hm?"

"I used to have the same problem as you. I thought that people we're completely unknowable, especially for a shy soul like mine."

He steals a glance at Athena before adding,

"But thanks to the duel I had with a certain girl with a battered but strong heart of gold, I was able to come out of my shell as you did your barrel. And the more I kept dueling and interacting with people, I started to see that not all of humanity is bad, as well as regain the confidence I lost when I sheltered myself."

"Hm...I guess I am feeling more confident. That's so cool, all thanks to dueling!"

"Mhm, and you see there?"

Pip looks behind her, and sees that the canines and felines were now mingling more nicely than previously.

"The city has plenty of room for both cats and dogs."

The sight was enough to make her heart swell with joy, and she giggles before replying,

"Let's just hope people learn to pick up after their pets!"

Looking back and forth between the animals and his human friends, Astral makes the following conclusion.

 _Observation Number Nineteen: people say a dog is a man's best friend..._

 _Athena's personality seems to fit closer to that of a lone wolf...and yet, (slight smile) she hasn't hesitated to step up, as an 'Alpha'_ _of sorts to her own pack of friends._

Said red-eyed girl stows away her Heart piece into her leather jacket pocket, thinking to herself in affirmation,

 _Okay, now that that's been taken care of, we can get back on track._

 _...Just one last fragment to go, and then it's 'Finals, here I come'...along with everything and everyone waiting for me there._


	40. Wayward Brother & a Long-Awaited Ambush

_"Greetings, magnificent duelists! The sun has set on the second day of the World Duel Carnival. Tomorrow, the hunt for Heart Pieces continues! For now, duelists, rest your decks and gather your strength, because come tomorrow, haha, you're gonna need it!"_

That would be the announcement broadcasted through the AR system by the Duel Monster tournament host, Mister Heartland, his projection fading away for the darkening skies of onyx blue mixed with streams of salmon red.

Flying through one hologram of the flashily-dressed city mayor, was Kite Tenjo, he returning to Heartland Tower after another day filled with scouring the paved streets for Number Holders...He's soon traveling along the conveyor belt hallway with Orbital Seven, and the latter could see the former was steadily becoming more physically-deprived with each return to base.

"M-Master Kite, I know you need to find more N-Numbers, bu-but you've been in Photon Mode for far too long. I-I have to warn you that if you keep this up, yo-your body will soon-"

The blond with dark aqua bangs snaps his steel grey irises onto the robot and stiffly replies,

"Your concern is noted. Now get back to tracking down more info about the Numbers."

"S-Sorry! T-Tracking info!"

Silence befalls between the two after that abrupt end in the subject matter...Meanwhile, atop the infamous tower with the giant heart point, young Hart was standing by the tall windows looking outside with a distant and somewhat depressed expression on his face...

"Hart."

He turns around to the soft-toned greeting, meeting eyes with a smiling Kite who approaches the younger after taking the elevator up.

"How ya feelin'?"

"Brother..."

The older male decides to go straight to the point of his visit, informing Hart,

"I've gathered more Numbers..."

He kneels down in front of his blood relation, saying with a form of reassurance in his voice,

"Before you know it, you're gonna feel a whole lot better. I just need ya to keep hanging in there. You think you can do that for me?"

Despite his troubled mentality from whatever force of power was constantly flipping his spirit inside-out and back again, Hart was no fool. He could sense that Kite was wearing down substantially from the work he's been forced to do for both their sakes, and not just in body either.

"...Brother..."

Watching the other leave after a short while was even harder on the small bluenette, when he witnesses the blond lose his stepping and falls to one knee.

"Brother!"

Kite fruitlessly brushes it off with a weak smile, not wanting to panic his younger sibling.

"Ah-heh, I just tripped. What a klutz..."

...As soon as he was gone, Hart would be left alone with his growing worries.

"...Brother..."

A bitter resentment and a sliver of guilt bubbles in his stomach as highlights from a past escape attempt come to mind, for how far they got mattered not. They were still herded into their own circles overlapping the same intersection of trouble...

Finally, the young boy had enough.

"...I must go."

(Sheen)

Hart's eyes cloud over with a bright, neon light blue light, which develops into a substantial spark of power that surrounds him in a circular dome! He lets out an outcry almost more controlled than previous shouts, and the cuff-like bracelets on his wrists become so overwhelmed by the energy, that they break apart like cheap plastic!

This phenomenon would not go unnoticed by Heartland Tower security, who catch a bit of the action through a monitor before it's completely washed over by the light.

"Whoa! What's going on?!"

If anyone outside the artistically-inspired building were to have looked that way now, they would've seen the big red heart up top glowing that same blue through the clear window glass...

Of course, not everyone's eyes were focused upward; for some, even going as far as avoiding looking up any higher than their normal eye level. That was certainly the case for Athena, as she exits out one of the cleaner city alleyways with a disgruntled expression on her face.

"Man, I thought that flamboyant idiot we call our mayor was gonna go into another dumb blather. Yeah yeah, we get it: second day done, one more to go, greeeat...It almost sounds like he's excited to watch more people getting their arses kicked."

Following behind the girl with copper red-tipped black hair, was Tiffany, and Akira, he dressed in a simple light gray shirt under an olive green safari jacket, sandy orange carpenter pants, and white sneakers.

The two girls had met with the taller male with golden honey skin just an hour earlier after the incident with Pip and her dog pack had been settled, he urging them to follow him to one of the top-secret locales for the Supernova youth network, having come across some potentially serious information they and the others needed to know. Jamal and Flip had also come along while Caden stayed behind with Pip, curious about what these friends through friends had to say, and would be left just as shocked as the other two young teens.

They're bringing up the rear behind the girl with cornflower irises and the mid-teen with aqua eyes, as she asks him with a touch of skepticism laced in her still-surprised tone,

"And you're sure this information is legit, right? This is really from the heart of Heartland's secret files?"

"Like I keep tellin' you, Shayna's cousin Weber knows how to hack like it's nobody's business...Some of us have actually been suspicious of Heartland's activity for a few years now, since he hardly makes any public appearances and always dramatizes when he does, like's he got something to hide. He's also done jack to help today's troubled youth, so you can imagine why we'd resent him a little...This on the other hand, was not what we expected."

Akira's eyes narrow as he goes on:

"If those private audio excerpts from video calls with someone codenamed 'Faker' weren't creepy, those other linked files sure were."

Jamal pipes in with a,

"No, kidding! Scattered information about Astral World, the Numbers, and...(shudder) those weird profiles on Kite, Nistro and Dextra that read like they were no more than nameless soldiers...Not that there was much to read since it was almost all encrypted."

"Yeah, sorry. Even Weber can't perform perfect miracles...but you said that your buddy Caswell might be able to take a crack at it?"

The male with olive-coco skin and black dreadlocks nods and replies,

"He's pretty tech-savvy, and he's learned a few new tricks from a-uh, 'nother friend of ours..."

 _Probably best I keep Mister Kay's talents on the DL..._

Twirling out a small USB drive with a Kurivolt design attached to a black lanyard, Jamal then says,

"Anyway, I'll hook 'em up with what your buddy Weber managed to dig up and see if he can't run another fine-tooth comb."

"Cool...So, this whole time, those weird XYZ monsters popping up around the city have actually been fragments of this extraterrestrial being from another world?"

The shortest male with the green-framed spectacles chimes,

"Yep! It sounds crazy at first, but once you get into it, it's almost normal."

"Heh, I imagine."

"...What we just found out, not so much. (Shiver) Feels like we've walked onto one of those 'government spying on our every move' conspiracies...The one time I'm both ecstatic and freaked out by a flipside..."

Raising a brow with a twitch of a smile, Tiffany focuses up front with a developing worry line on her forehead and a small frown on her lips, her vision directed on the girl walking ahead the rest.

"I think Addy's reaction still has us all beat: she looked so ready to throw up, scream and commit murder all at once."

Forming his own frown, Akira grimly comments,

"Well, considering how 'great' life's treated her these last few years...we can't really blame her for having that kind of a response, especially when you consider the other life stuck center stage in this obsessive talk."

The other two boys and one girl hm with sad nods of agreement...Zooming in on the other two people of this little group, Athena and Astral were having their own exclusive conversation through their mental connection, after finally settling their individual anxieties.

 _God, this is insanity at its finest...I was so close to landing a punch or two in that monitor. I can still hardly believe what I was reading._

"Yes, I too was shocked...and I could feel the disgust and rage building within you."

 _Well can you blame me? That creep's just a few stone throws away from being your stalker, Astral!...And if that wasn't enough, Heartland's pretty much got Kite on a tight leash, prime orders being 'gather the Numbers or Hart never gets better'._

The being with blue skin and intricate green markings knew that his friend was purposely dodging the real reason for the jump in negative emotions, and kindly chose to keep with her focus rather than try to get her to talk about her true issues.

"Yet we did not see anything about Hart within those unlocked files..."

Turning around the next corner of the sidewalk, Athena communes through the telepathic link,

 _His is probably one of the encrypted pages Weber couldn't translate...Anyway, what I really want to know is who this 'Faker' person is, the guy that Heartland's been conversing with...'cause something in me's saying that we've either got a team job, or another version of leader and subordinate._

"Are you suggesting that Heartland is also taking orders from someone?"

 _Well, in my eyes, he's a good manipulator; he's gotten this far with fooling the public eye about his activities...But a grand-master planner? Tch, nadda chance in Hell with that level of melodramatic._

(Beep-beep BEEP, BEEP-beep-beep...)

"Huh?"

The girl with red irises would then tune back to reality to the sound of multiple vehicle horns, focusing her attention on the crosswalk ahead where other members of the public were watching, as a young figure slowly makes his way across without taking notice of the cars and trucks that weren't stopping!

"What in the world...?"

Her other four friends catch up to her and Astral's proximity, also becoming dumbfounded by what they were seeing.

"Uh!" "What the heck-?!"

"Is that a kid?!"

"Are they tryin' to get run over?!"

As soon as the youth was about halfway across...that's when their appearance strikes a chord in Athena's memory.

"Wait...Oh my god..."

 _(Flash)_

 _The image of Kite and Hart during a simpler, happier time..._

 _(Flash)_

 _A younger, somewhat livelier Hart staring with wide, golden eyes into the sunken, paranoid red of a younger Athena in the secret facility the latter was kept hostage in..._

 _(Flash)_

"That's Hart!"

"Huh?" "Who?"

Too stunned to fully register what she was doing next, the girl with the black leather jacket bolts from the sidewalk towards the bluenette boy, ignoring her friend's calls to stop. Once she was beside Hart, she tries to get some answers out of him.

"Hey, Hart! What the heck are ya doing out here?!...Where's your brother?"

(Beep-beeeeeeeep)

No answer would come out fast enough, before a huge delivery truck suddenly comes driving up from their left side! The driver lets out a yelp and tries to hit the brakes, but they weren't strong enough, so the truck would continue swerving sideways on a collision course for the two souls!

Cursing, Athena whirls around and kneels down to wrap her arms around the smaller youth, using herself to shield his body.

 _It's coming too fast; we can't run...but I can try to save an innocent at least._

(...Sheen)

Hart's eyes cloud over with the bright neon light blue, and he releases that same power from earlier to re-create the spherical dome shield to surround himself and Athena...

(CRASH)

"Addy!"

Tiffany leads the three boys in a charge off the sidewalk towards the new wreckage, all anxious and horrified by the possibility that their friend may have very well lost her life.

"Addy!" "Athena!"

"Crap, don't say-!"

"...Uh, there, look!"

Following Flip's point through the dissipating cloud of dust...we find that the teenage girl and young boy were okay! In fact, it doesn't look like they've been hurt at all, or so Athena would notice after several more seconds of clutching Hart to her tightly.

"...Huh?"

 _...Why do I not feel the crushing weight of metal?_

Opening her eyes, she sees that the truck had toppled on its side, but had somehow stopped its sliding trajectory only a few feet away from her proximity.

"How...?"

Astral floats to her side as she dislodges herself from Hart.

"Athena, look."

"Hm?...Ga-ah!"

She'd quickly find herself gaping with disbelief, at a giant hole in the eighteen-wheeler's trailer!

"How, the fu-(Whirls around) Please tell me you saw how the hell that happened!?...Not that I'm not glad I didn't become part of the concrete, but still!"

Astral's voice, though carrying a light coat of his own surprise, remained as calm as ever as he answers,

"I did. At the moment of the collision, some sort of power phenomenon occurred. It seemed to protect you and the boy."

"...No kiddin'..."

Both sets of red and mismatched gold/silver-white irises look down at Hart, the owners wondering simultaneously,

 _Could that mean,_

"The power came from him...?"

The situation would only become stranger...when the little bluenette suddenly looks up to meet Astral's eyes!

"...You look like you're cold."

Athena widens her own eyes, and sideglances her typically-invisible-to-everyone-else-except-her friend while muttering,

"Uuuh, I think he's talkin' to you, dude."

Curiousity spikes anew within the other-worldly being, and he shifts his position so that he was hovering in front of Hart.

"...Are you saying you can see me?"

"...Yes, I can...Who are you?"

"My name is Astral."

"...I know that name."

Hart's mind fills with snippets of his more destructive bursts of power combined with the city's trash deposits crashing down against the galaxy where the blue-skinned being once resided...

"...Astral..."

"Do you know something about me?"

Athena was just as curious as her friend was, looking over the young boy with a delicate frown on her face.

 _Hart...he doesn't look as healthy as he did in that photo, possibly even worse from back in, that brief visit into my old Hell..._

 _What's happened to you since then, kiddo?_

"Addy, you alright?!"

She looks up to see her other four friends hurrying over, softly muttering each of their names before replying normally,

"Yeah, I'm fine, (glances at Hart) thanks to him."

"Whaddo you me-Oh, crap...!"

Jamal cuts his question off mid-sentence, when his aqua green irises catch sight of a few police cars heading their way...

"Uhm, we might wanna get outta here before we're pulled into questioning by those cops."

Nodding in agreement with Akira, Athena then kneels to Hart's eye-level and says to him in a tone almost too soft for her use,

"Hey, Hart? Listen, I dunno what's going on, but I'm gonna take you somewhere safer than the middle of the road. You cool with me carrying you?...It'll be faster."

A faint flash of surprise appears across the bluenette's face, before he nods the slightest, giving the teenage girl with copper-red tipped black hair the go-ahead to lift him into her arms like a mother would her own child, one arm under his knees and the other holding him securely by the back.

"Come on, guys; we're heading back to my place."

Though their expressions carried a mix of wariness and worry, the other four teens nod and break into a run with the girl away from the crosswalk area, much to the dismay of the anxiously-aggravated truck driver.

"Hey! Look whach'ya did to my truck!..."

...Meanwhile, within the security room of Heartland Tower, a low whistle expels from a familiar soot-red-haired male as he overlooks the monitor displaying Hart's room...which now had a big crater by the windows.

"So whadda we think caused this one? Meteor? Big monster, maybe?"

Dextra's chocolate brown irises narrow a little at her partner's sarcasm.

"You know perfectly well that it was Subject Zero...If Mister Heartland finds out that he's out there..."

"Yeah well, he won't, and neither will Kite. We'll have the kid home by morning...Hopefully, he can manage to keep a lid on himself until we can track him down."

The young woman with purple hair hmphs, before starting her way out of the room.

"Let's move out, Nistro."

Small Time Skip, Athena's POV

It thankfully didn't take my friends and I too long until we got back to my house, though we were forced to take a few side-routes to avoid the public eye after what happened on the road earlier...which would become the big breaking news on TV.

 _"We now go to East City C, Block 35-62 where traffic is at a standstill after an earlier incident in which a trailer spun out of control and fell on its side. Witnesses reported seeing..."_

I let out a sigh that came out as more of a groan, tuning out the report as I focus on my small gathering of people in the living room, thanking god that my brothers weren't home right now and gramps was busy with dinner to really fathom the gravity of my current situation (not that I've told him _exactly_ what's going on).

"Well, as the great man once said, 'Here's another fine mess we've gotten ourselves into'."

Flip, who was sitting on the floor next to the corner of the small coffee table, lets out a small noise that sounded like a muffled moan, while Tiffany, she sitting in the loveseat right-adjacent to the couch, wonders aloud with a worry brow,

"What are we gonna do now? It's not like any of us have Kite's contact info..."

Akira was sitting on the outward curve of the big sectional couch, also at a bit of a loss over what to do.

"We obviously can't go wandering outside with the kid right now, not with the cops sniffing around...He'll most likely have to stay here overnight."

I was already planning on doing that, anyway, but it was good to hear that no one's going into a panic attack...

"I need to ask you something, Hart."

I turn focus on Astral as he began asking the boy a few questions.

"How is it that you can see me?"

"...Why wouldn't I be able to see you?"

My eyebrow raises from such an innocent answer.

 _Huh..._

"Hey, guys!"

We all look towards the kitchen/dining room, and saw Jamal smiling at us with a small white apron wrapped around his waist.

"Food's almost done, and we need someone to set the table."

 _Aah, now here's the cure to calm our nerves: good food._

And boy did it all look good, indeed: fried dumplings, donburi, miso soup, Chikara udon and a huge pyramid of dango! My mouth was watering with anticipation before I even sat down, and Flip looked like he was in Heaven.

"Wooow, even my mom doesn't go this far with cooking! Heheh, I think I'll start with-"

(Yank)

"Ow-ow-ow-oooow!"

He's immediately stopped by Tiff when she pinches his earlobe and pulls him back from reaching the dumplings, a frown of disapproval on her face.

"Kindly refrain from acting like a grabby five year-old. We haven't even sat down yet."

"Okay okay, sorry!"

She lets go and sits on Jamal's right on the left side of the table, while Flip sits on his left while grumbling and rubbing his ear,

"Sheesh, why do girls always have to be so touchy...?"

I just roll my eyes and move to sit on my eldest guy friend's left at one end of the table, he commenting,

"Too bad your bros are working late; looks like they'll be missing out."

"Hah, yeah well, not like this is the first time..."

Gramps would settle on Akira's right and Hart's left - he at the other end of the table - while mentioning,

"I already have two bowls and plates set aside for them when they do come home...Now, shall we?"

We all nod and began grabbing and passing around the big meal, relishing in the vibrant tastes dancing on our tongues...

"Are you not hungry, my boy?"

Pausing to swallow some of the rice from my portion of donburi, I look over to see gramps talking to Hart who, oddly enough, hadn't touched his stuff.

 _Huh?_

Smiling gently, my great-parental figure encourages our household's youngest guest to dig in.

"No need to feel meek at this table; just grab your chopsticks and dive in."

Jamal joins in as he loudly swallows a huge bite and comments,

"Yeah, better to eat while it's all still hot."

"Ugh, Jamal, do you have to be so obnoxious when you eat?"

He shoots a little glare at Tiffany's slightly disgusted expression.

"Hey, whaddo you expect from me; I'm a guy!"

Akira grabs a fried dumpling from the platter in the middle and says with a wry grin,

"I'd count your blessings he's not chewing with his mouth open like he's got a huge wad of gum in his mouth. That's how my baby cousins eat whenever they come over to my house."

"Eww, really?!"

"Really. Not that my mom and aunts haven't tried to teach them better manners, (shakes head) but they never stick long enough."

Slurping down some of his miso broth, Flip mutters with a nervous smile,

"I know my mom made it a mission to drill proper table manners into my skull. If I even slip up a little during mealtime, I wouldn't hear the end of it until the next day."

My two other guy friends and I wince with a mutter of,

"Harsh," and he nods with a,

"Mhm..."

...Another minute passes, before I would then hear Astral address Hart by his name. Glancing over where he was, I would feel an eyebrow raise as I watch him making these gestures like he was eating.

 _What the heck...?_

But then, looking back and forth between my friend and the young boy...it'd suddenly make a little more sense.

 _Oooh..._

And thankfully, it wouldn't take too long before the recipient of the message follows through, very slowly picking up his chopsticks and bowl of donburi. Pretty soon, he was steadily gobbling the food down, a small but noticeable smile on his face all the while, making the rest of us smile too.

 _Tha'da boy, Hart._

Jamal casually mentions to the young boy,

"Good tip: dipping the dumplings into the miso broth will leave your taste buds singing for more, heheh."

Soon, his bowl and plate would be clean, and Astral encourages him to go for a second round.

"Now Hart...ask for more."

Looking down in thought for a second, Hart then asks with a shy smile and tone,

"May I have some more, please?"

Gramps nods and replies wholeheartedly,

"Of course, my boy; help yourself! You looked like you were really enjoying that."

I grab the platter of dango - after taking two for myself, of course - and pass it to Akira to pass down to Hart.

"Here, Hart, grab a few of these. They're real good for anyone with a sweet tooth."

Tiffany follows my example by passing the Chikara udon down, a sweeter smile on her face all the while. The kid stares at our kind faces with a vacant-style surprise for a moment...before smiling a bit back at us...

Eventually, dinner would be over, and noting how tired he looked even after filling his stomach, we figured it'd be best for Hart to go to bed, and by bed, I mean mine. I'm sitting at the end of the mattress watching him sleep right now, while Tiffany took my deck chair, Flip sat behind her atop the desk, and Jamal and Akira were leaning against my closet doors. We kept our voices low so we wouldn't wake the kid, as we discuss the situation further.

"So do any of you got an idea where Hart may have been going while he was out there?"

Shrugging, I reply to my gal pal,

"Hard to say. He looked kind-of lost, to be honest, like, he wasn't expecting to end up downtown..."

Jamal suggests,

"Maybe he was trying to make a break for it from somewhere...?"

Akira nods in agreement with the idea.

"That's possible. He's a little haggard-looking for someone his age, and he's been acting really withdrawn...There's a good chance this may be the first time in god-who-knows-how-long he's been to the outside world from, wherever he's been held up in."

Humming quietly, my face contorts into a bitter sadness as I think,

 _Yeah, and I can somewhat understand how that feels...or understand as much as my memory's allowing me to._

"Soooo what're the chances that Kite's looking for his kid brother as we speak?"

We all cringe a bit at Flip's question, and I answer neutrally,

"I'd say the chances are real good...which means the next step is trying to find a way to track him down."

Looking over at my eldest guy friend, I ask him,

"Akira, did that secret file contain anything related to a possible gazer number?"

"Not from what I could see, but I can pull it up and look again..."

But just as he grabs out he duel disk...he pauses to look at me again and inquire,

"Is, contacting him a smart idea, though? Don't get me wrong; it's best that Hart be with his relative, but...given your last few encounters with him..."

I knew that someone was gonna mention the tense air still existing between Kite and I, which I'd be prepared for.

"Yeah, I know; we don't exactly see eye-to-eye..."

Flip and Jamal pipe in,

"Ha! That's putting it mildly," causing me to shoot them a shushing glare so they didn't wake the kid...

"Anyway, my latest encounter with him wasn't as bitter as it has been. We just exchanged a few mutual words...Besides, I know in my gut that even Kite's not dumb enough to start an unnecessary fight. He just wants his brother safe...That's all he's been fighting for, really: Hart's safety."

My friends hm in their own thoughts, letting my judgement sink into their heads...

"Athena."

My attention diverts to Astral, he hovering above and about a few feet away from me.

"Hart can see me. There is something quite special about him. I have a feeling that he knows about me and where I am from."

Recalling the little murmur the boy made before I carried him over to my place from the intersection, I nod and reply back through our telepathic link,

 _I was thinking that too. Question is, how much does he know, and...could he have been fed any form of false information?_

"False information?...Uh! Are you referring to the communications between Mister Heartland and-"

"Mm-mnh...!"

We'd be interrupted out of our conversation by the sound of whimpering, and look over to see Hart's face contorted into an expression of discomfort...and fear.

"B...Brother...!"

 _Tsk, poor kid. Must be having a nightmare._

Feeling my soft spot for kids kicking in, I move so I was kneeling by the head of the bed, and carefully reach out to gently brush the tips of my fingers through his hair, hoping to soothe his anxieties.

 _Don't worry, Hart...I'll find a way to get you back to Kite...Promise._

Then without much of a warning, Hart bolts up awake!

"Brother!"

I quickly move to catch him so he didn't get whiplash or something.

"Whoa, Hart!"

"Wh...Wh-Where-"

"Easy, Hart, easy...We're in my room, remember? Tiffany tucked you in not too long ago."

His small frame shivers within my arms for a bit as he slowly came back to reality, and I just kept holding him, a small frown of pity on my face that matched similar expressions on each of my friends in the room...Once I was sure he was stable, we part a little so we had breathing room, though I kept a soft grip on his arms for security like my brothers used to do back several months before Astral's arrival when my own nightmares were particularly freaky.

"You alright?"

He nods a bit...and then looks me over with a slight rise of clarity in his eyes.

"...You...You, look like..."

I tilt my head to the side in confusion.

"Look like who?"

"...Like this person, from a dream I used to have...You have their hair, and their eyes."

One of Hart's small hands reaches up to touch the area near the side of my right eye.

"Those eyes...they looked so hurt, like, yours do."

I had to fight from stiffening up too much as he made that characterization.

 _Hurt...pain...Can it, be possible, that he might remember something from...?_

"Athena...will you help me?"

Snapping back to reality, I meet Hart's eyes again and ask,

"Help with what?"

"...Help me find Kite...and, help me, help him."

To hear such a request was baffling to say the least, considering that Kite hasn't given any leeway into accepting my offer from a couple days back...and yet to be asked by his brother...Clearly, something was happening to the Hunter, something that's causing his kid brother to worry.

Keeping my tone neutral, I lower my hands from his arms and shift to wrap one of my own loosely around his frame before inquiring,

"...What's wrong with Kite?"

I could sense the surprise from the other souls in the room at my interest in the older blond, and not feeling any real judgement, Hart breathes out a sigh before explaining what he's been noticing this last while.

"He's been coming back from his missions, more exhausted than usual. He's been pushing himself so hard, to do what Mister Heartland orders him to just for my sake."

My friends and I gasp a little, since this pretty much confirms our findings via the Supernova Network.  
I mutter with a touch of bitterness in my voice but not too much to scare the boy,

"So then Heartland's been pulling the strings all along. I knew it...!"

Tiffany then takes a turn in asking a question, her tone softer and more chiding than mine.

"Hart...you don't have to answer this if you're not comfortable, but...when exactly did Mister Heartland come into the picture? Do you remember?"

Hart thinks for a minute...before shaking his head and replying,

"I can't remember, exactly when he became a part of things...All I know is that, he's been providing Doctor Faker with what he needs, to help find a cure for my condition."

 _Doctor Faker?_

"And who's this Faker guy?"

"...Mine and Kite's father."

Another round of gasps roll out, but we let Hart continue.

"I don't know the full story of what he did, but, Doctor Faker...he did something a very long time ago, that was suppose to help me be stronger...But, instead..."

He looks down at his hands with a mixed expression of fear and...disgust?

"It gave this, energy, too powerful for me to handle. I, I've tried for years to get control over it, but, (clenches hands) I-I'm too weak! I can't stop it from happening all the time...!"

Jamal clarifies,

"You mean like, what happened at the intersection earlier?"

"That...and something else much worse...Something that's, hurting somewhere else..."

 _Somewhere else...Uh! No...he, (looks up at Astral) he couldn't mean...!_

Astral's expression told me he was wondering the same, terrible possibility...

"It's scaring me!"

I dart down back on Hart as he starts to grimace with an emotionally-pained expression, hands gripping the side of his dipped head.

"I don't, understand why I do this, and why my brother has to suffer too! He's gonna run himself into the ground doing Faker and Heartland's orders, and I can't do a thing to stop it! Why?!"

(Sheen...)

If the air wasn't already tensing badly, it would be when his eyes start flashing that weird glow again!

 _Oh shit!_

Acting fast, I scoop up the boy under my arms and bolt for the door.

"We gotta get 'im out the house, now!"

My friends scramble to run with me, the sound of our thundering footsteps drawing gramps's attention from the living room.

"Huh?! What's the rush?!"

"Sorry, grandpa; emergency!"

Akira yanks the front door open, allowing me to sprint outside and head down the stairs to the lower streets. I'd end up placing Hart in the middle of the road - thanking god that this was one of the quieter areas of the city - so he had some room for what I knew was gonna come next.

"Everyone back up! Give the kid some room!"

(...POW-SHOOM)

We shield our eyes from the impact of light...and soon, we'd be staring at a new crater in the pavement.

 _Yeaaaah, this'll be an easy explanation for road construction...Not!_

Small Time Skip, Astral's POV

It would not take too long before we formulated a new plan of action in light of this new information and...Hart's unfortunate episode in front of Athena's residence. We decided that we could not wait until tomorrow to track down Kite, and had to get the brothers back together before something more dire could ensue. I admit, the idea of searching for the Number Hunter did not sit with me very well...but Hart does not deserve that same discontent.

I am now floating along beside Athena, she holding the young boy's hand as he guides her to a place that housed a number of large apparatuses called wind turbines, with Tiffany and Akira walking but a foot behind us. Jamal and Flip chose to head over to Caswell's place to deliver those encrypted files to him, and most likely stay over for the night.

 _Hopefully, he can uncover more data...I need to know: what is this Doctor Faker's true goal?_

(...Fwi-fwi-fwi-fwi-fwi-fwi)

"Hm?"

Suddenly, my ears catch the sound of an aerial vehicle coming close to our general area, followed by a bright spotlight, forcing us all to stop.

"Uh!" "What the-?!"

"Is that a helicopter?"

"What's going on?!"

"...Stay where you are!"

 _That voice..._

Someone jumps down from the flying machine, revealing themselves as that Nistro fellow, with a grin on his face that did not look very pleasant.

"Come on, Hart. You're out way past your bedtime."

His eyes then land on Athena:

"Uh! It's you again!"

She gently pulls Hart closer to her in a protective manner, glaring at the man before us.

"Nistro..."

Akira asks,

"You know this guy, Addy?"

"Unfortunately, yes, and not on good terms, I may add...What're you doing here? What do you want with Hart?"

"This has nothing to do with you. The less you kids know, the better."

Rather than becoming bristled by the aggressive tone Nistro was using, Athena chose to smirk bitterly.

"Little late for that, I'm afraid."

"...What're you talkin' about, kid?"

"Let's just say, a few old pals through pals are real good at uncovering information, (glances down) and Hart was brave enough to let us in on some other details too..."

She looks up with a more serious expression.

"I don't know the full story, mind you, but what I do know is that Heartland and some secret partner of his have been abusing their power over the boy...and to another extent, their power over Kite, and you and your partner."

That seemed to strike a chord in Nistro, as evident by how much his muscles tensed, and how narrow his irises became.

"...Just how much do you know?"

"Like I said, not alot, but certainly not a little. I'll let you believe what you want to, but just know this."

It was my friend's turn to form slits with her eyes.

"I'm not about to hand Hart over to anyone who isn't his next of kin. If you know where Kite is right now, you better tell me, otherwise, you can get the frig out of my sight."

 _Athena..._

Obviously, Nistro would become angered by the lack of cooperation from someone younger than he.

"Grrrh, when did you suddenly get appointed the kid's guardian?! Don't you get that the only safe place for him is Heartland City?!"

Akira would step forward to retort back,

"Yeah, according to who, your shady boss? Nice try, but we're not falling for your crap, pal."

"Why you-!"

(Sheen-Bzzzzzzzt)

The conversation would be cut short when Hart's strange energy began to spike anew!

"Guh! Aw no, not again!"

" _You need, to leave, me, alone!_ "

 _Hart...!_

The other three and I were forced to take cover as the boy's power creates another crater in the ground...And as soon as the ground was stable again, Athena quickly runs in through the smoke to grab Hart and lead us in a run away from the area.

"Come on, hurry!"

...

Our next stop would be situated within the middle of this turbine district, they being a tower made from a fishnet-like metal with what appears to be a viewing area up top. Hart seemed to be very drawn to this place, and would lead us all in a gradual climb up the stairs.

"...Brother..."

As we continue our ascend, Tiffany quietly asks Athena with uncertainty,

"Do you think Kite might actually be up here, Addy?"

"...I don't know. He may be, or, he might not be."

Akira mutters as we near the top steps,

"I wasn't able to find his gazer number, so, this is really our only lead."

Bearing all of this information in mind, I ask my friend,

"Athena...are you prepared for what may be waiting for us?"

"...I am. But like I said, I'm not gonna encourage a senseless fight...Not with Hart here."

 _Mm, let us hope that Kite feels the same way, assuming he is up there..._

...Though as a large part of me predicted, the Number Hunter was nowhere to be found...

"Damn, he's not here...Hey, Hart, got any other ideas for where your brother could be?...Hart?"

The young boy wasn't listening, too focused on finding...something else.

"Where? Where is it? (Looks around frantically) It's suppose to be up here!"

Approaching him, Athena asks,

"What, Hart? What's suppose to be here?"

"Rgh, I have to find it!"

Moving so she was kneeling in front of him, she places a gentle but firm hand on his shoulder.

"Take it easy, kid. Deep breath...Now tell me: what are you trying to find up here?"

"...It's a square. It's small and very sweet...sweeter, than dango."

 _Sweeter than dango?...Could he be referring to, a sweet treat of sorts?_

I could sense that both Athena and her friend Akira were drawing similar conclusions.

"Square and, sweeter than dango?"

"Like, a candy or something?"

Hart nods slightly, and adds with worry climbing into his tone,

"Without it, my brother will be-"

He's interrupted when that blasted helicopter carrying Nistro and Dextra comes flying overhead!

 _Curses, they found us!_

...But that would prove to be a very unwise move.

(Ba-bump...)

"Hm?"

Feeling a beat of energy, I turn around to see Hart with a very terrified expression on his face, almost as bad if not worse than the frightened expressions I have seen Athena form.

 _This, cannot be good._

He lets out a very loud yell, drawing the attention of my friends, and we would all witness the same power phenomenon once more...only this time, the energy was much more potent, and would undergo a shift of colour, from bright light blue to an otherwise morbid neon red! Shielding Tiffany like an older brother would, Akira exclaims with aggravation carved in his tone,

"Dammit, why couldn't those idgits have left us alone?!"

Athena and I were more pressed by the change in the nature of this power.

"...Astral...this energy, is..."

"Yes, I know...I too recognize it."

 _It is the same power that has been attacking my homeworld...but...something does not add up._

 _Why would Hart want to attack my home?...And what is causing his loss of control now?_

Something within my own instincts told me to approach the boy, which I did, ignoring my friend's call to wait...

As soon as the palm of my hand connects with his forehead, I was instantly drawn within Hart's mind, specifically, memories related to what had brought him and Kite into their current predicament. Truth be told, this was not my first instance in using this ability. I accidentally discovered it during the evening after my first ordeal against Black Mist, after hovering my hand above Athena's forehead for too long...allowing access into her own memory.

What I saw...was rather depressing, aside from a few flashes of a happier, much younger little girl before the disastrous event come her eleventh year. She was a little shocked after I told her about what I had paid witnessed to...but accepted my new knowledge with a strange content, especially after I offered to try and scan her mind for anything she may have missed in her latest revelations. But much like what I had tried with the Number Cards, nothing wanted to reveal itself...

But returning to current events: the memory that opened within Hart's mind looked to be none too long ago, perhaps, a month or so before my arrival into this world, when he and Kite attempted to elude Mister Heartland's agents. Apparently, the route we all took tonight, was almost exactly the same route they took back when...It was saddening to see the young boy look so scared to the point of tears, and a little surprising to see Kite acting so, tender towards him.

 _He clearly cares about his sibling very much..._

The square sweet turned out to be something called Caramel, given to Hart as a way to calm his nerves and help him forget about the situation for a little while...Unfortunately, Heartland's agents would find them, restraining Kite so two others could lead the boy to the man in question, much to the elder brother's dismay. Seeing all of this...I felt a new rise of, sympathy go towards the Number Hunter.

 _He was forced to become one to protect Hart...Perhaps his interests in the cards, are really but a cover-up for his fears..._

The memory would close here, and back in reality, Hart's power was rising to near-perilous proportions, his mind clouded by the images of the people hurting him and his brother.

" _This time, I'll give you the energy! I'LL FIGHT THEM ALL!_"

A wave crashes from the center of the power dome, throwing Athena, Tiffany and Akira off their feet to land harshly against the floor near the fencing, while the helicopter was forced to fly back...

 _Hart needs to be stopped before this power becomes cataclysmic!...And I think I know how._

I quickly fly over to my friend and inform her,

"Athena! Hart came up here to look for something called a Caramel!"

"A what?!"

"Hart wants to give a Caramel power-up to his brother!"

"...I dunno what that's suppose to mean, but I'm guessing if we don't somehow accommodate, things are gonna get messy?"

"More than messy, Athena: Hart is building up enough dark energy to swallow up the entire city!"

That definitely got her attention:

"The whole ci-...God, the things I gotta do-!"

Shaking her head furiously, Athena turns attention to the other two slumped near her.

"Tiff, Akira! This is gonna sound weird, but do any of you have Caramel on you?"

They look at her like she has gone insane...but then Akira forms an enlightened expression, and reaches into one of the many pockets of his pants to pull out what we needed.

"Here! I forgot that I bought a bunch of candy for my mom earlier today!"

Taking the wrapped sweet into her hand, Athena moves to stand up and make her way over to Hart, shoving herself against the gravity of the power.

"Hrh...gh!...Hart!"

She holds out the small square so he could see it.

"This is what you're looking for, right, the Caramel? I've got one right here, one you can give your brother! See?"

...Nothing seemed to change much, so Athena was forced to switch to a more direct approach.

"Hah, okay then...Hrrrah!"

She leaps forward through the spikes of energy, and enfolds her arms around the boy as she did earlier this evening...

"Hart, listen to me, please: everything's gonna be alright!...I know you're scared for Kite, but having a freakout's not going to do any good!...You need to calm down, for his sake if no one else!"

...

Her words reach Hart, and he was able to get a hold over his power, forcing it away and leaving the two in yet another crater...A silence blankets the roof of this tower for a moment...before Hart speaks again.

"...My brother...My brother is very tired because of me. I had to come up here to find a Caramel to give to my brother, (takes the sweet) to give him strength."

Athena's smile was a sad one as she replies softly,

"Oh Hart...It's nice that you wanna help lift the weight off your brother's shoulders, but you need to understand that this isn't your fault. If anything, it's Heartland's and that Faker guy's...I don't like what's going on either, believe me, but running yourself to the ground won't prevent him from doing it too. You gotta look after your own health...That's what'll truly make him happy."

"Athena..."

I decide to tell her what I had seen.

"I was able to see Hart's memories...Hart and Kite were hiding on this tower, and Hart seemed to be quite upset. Kite tried to reassure him by giving him the Caramel. He told him it would give him strength. They had been running away from somebody..."

"Lemme guess, Heartland?"

"Yes..."

(...Flash)

Next thing we knew, another spotlight casts over our bodies!

"Aw, you gotta be kidding me!"

Whirling around, Athena cries out to the occupant of the flying apparatus,

"When are you people gonna get it?! Hart's not going with anyone except Kite!"

The craft lands, and the side door opens...

"If it's a fight you want, though, I'm more than happy to oblige...Hm?"

But much to our surprise, we would not meeting the eyes of Nistro...but the eyes of a different, taller fellow with very long silver hair and dressed in a similar manner to that of, Quattro and Trey.

 _Could he be related to them...?_

Athena immediately senses something off, pulling the young boy behind her.

"You're not Nistro...Who are you?"

"I'm Hart's friend. I'm here to help. (Sheen) _Isn't that right, Hart?_ "

The man's forehead suddenly glows, revealing a strange crest like that of the other two humans I have seen do similarly. We shield our eyes from the light...unaware that it was effecting a specific target, until they start to slowly move towards the stranger.

 _Huh? Hart?...Wait...Uh! That crest must be-_

Thankfully, Athena had figured it out, and grabs the boy before he could walk any further.

"Stop!...Grh, what did you do to him?!"

"Hart will be perfectly safe with me. I assure you."

...

...

My friend suddenly rises, keeping a firm hand on Hart's shoulder so he would not move.

"Tiffany...Akira."

"Addy?" "Yeah?"

"...On my signal, get Hart off this tower."

Something in her tone made my spirit shiver, and they were equally as wary. Tiffany asks her,

"What're you gonna do?"

"What I have to; just be ready."

Though confused and tense, she and Akira do as Athena tells them, moving to gently hold Hart as the second latter steps forward with a determined glare cast on the man before us.

"I dunno who the hell you think you are, but I've had it up to here with these kidnapping attempts. I'll give you only one chance to walk away right now before things get very ugly."

The stranger seemed a bit taken aback by my friend's hostile threat, but then narrows his eyes in return.

"Is that so? And how exactly does a child like you plan on forcing me to 'walk away'?"

One crack of her knuckles said it all.

"... _You shouldn't have asked that, pal._ "

And just before anyone could protest her actions, she lunged at him with a fist raised, the assaulting appendage landing right in his torso!

 _Oh my!_

No POV

Quinton lets out a grunt of surprise and pain as he stumbles back from Athena's punch, which is followed by a sweeping upper-kick that sends him straight for the ground near the hovercraft-like helicopter's doorway! Darting her head over her shoulder, the blackette calls to her friends,

"Get 'im outta here, now!"

Snapping out of their dazes, the teen boy with golden-honey skin scoops up Hart to throw over his right shoulder before grabbing the other girl's hand and lead her in a run for the stairs.

"Let's go!"

"Oh!"

While they made their escape, Athena stays behind for a minute to catch her breath from the sudden attack she conducted, staring at the man with ankle-length silver hair as he struggles to lift himself up.

 _Hm...getting a better look...he doesn't look like he works with 'those two'..._

 _Still, he knows Hart, and something in my gut's telling me that's not a good thing._

Astral floats over to her side to get her attention.

"Athena, let us go. We should catch up with your friends and Hart."

"Hah...right."

She turns on her heel and began jogging after the others, unaware that Quinton's blue irises were watching her form disappear.

 _I...I failed in obtaining the boy, because of her...Who is she, and where did she get such strength?_

Down below the tower, the three teens and one Astral Being exit out of the entrance, just as the young bluenette comes out of his daze.

"(...Blink) H-Huh? Wha...Uh!"

He fully tunes back to reality when he notices his change of position atop Akira's shoulder, making him a little scared.

"Wh-What's going on? What's happening?!"

Stopping underneath a turbine, the teen holding the young boy sets the latter down as Athena reassures,

"It's alright, kid, you're safe. We just had to get down from the tower."

"Why? What happened?"

"...You don't remember?"

"N-No...I mean, the last thing I remember was a really tall figure and a flash of light...and now I'm down here with all of you."

That made the other four hm in suspicion...and then their ears pick up on the sound of the flying transportation vehicle near their proximity. Tiffany whimpers a bit along with Hart, but Athena holds an arm to them in a silencing gesture, whispering,

"Don't panic..."

...The helicopter passes overhead, missing sight of the targets of interest...Sighing in relief, the girl with amber red irises mutters,

"Okay, I think we're in the clear for now...What the heck was that all about, anyway?"

Akira deduces,

"I'm willing to bet that weird light was causing some sort of hypnotic effect. That's probably why Hart can't remember, not that there's much worth remembering...Strange it didn't do anything to us, though."

Tiffany reasons with a small frown,

"Maybe that guy can target certain people?...Still, that doesn't explain what he wanted with Hart."

The girl with red irises folds her arms with a scowl and mutters,

"Don't know, but I already don't like it."

Astral then hovers closer to the youngest of the five to ask,

"Hart...do you recall anyone in your life that has long, sliver hair, blue eyes and stands approximately six feet tall?"

"Uuum...no, I...I don't, think so."

"Are you sure?"

"(Nod) The description sounds, vaguely familiar, but I'm not sure why..."

Hart's golden irises turn to Athena:

"What do we do now? Kite, wasn't up there, so..."

"Hm...Can you think any other places he might be?"

"Not off the top of my head. This was the first place that came to me."

He looks down at the small square of Caramel in his hand, and clenches it to himself over where his heart rested with a disappointed frown.

"Brother...now how will I get him the strength he needs?"

Seeing that he was fighting to break into tears, Tiffany quickly kneels down to pull him into a hug to comfort him...Meanwhile, Athena and Akira discuss the group's next course of action.

"So what _do_ we do, Addy?"

"Uhm...lemme think...Okay, what do we know now?"

"Well, we know that Hart and his brother have been under Heartland and Faker's control for some time..."

"And according to Astral, they've tried to escape once, but failed."

Akira looks at the younger girl a bit strangely, and she waves a hand dismissively.

"Don't ask."

"Right...Okay, they've tried to bail, but are stuck working for those two, all because of Hart's condition. Those crazy power blasts."

"Mhm...And now we've got a second party coming after him."

"You don't think he's working for Heartland?"

Athena shakes her head:

"Nuh-uh. He doesn't fit the same vibe as Kite, Nistro or Dextra."

"...His clothes."

"Huh?"

The two turn to look at Tiffany, who continues her new train of thought.

"I, recognize his style of clothing."

"Psh, this is hardly the time for a fashion bash, Tiff."

"Not like that, dummy! I mean his dress is similar to that of Quattro and his younger brother."

Now that catches the leather-jacketed girl's attention.

"Quattro and Trey?...Wait...Come to think of it, that guy's power came from some sort of symbol on his forehead, like the crests those other two have."

Astral reasons,

"So this would mean, we are not looking at a brother duo or solo...but rather..."

"Right. We're looking at a brother trio, and there's a chance Quattro and Trey may come after Hart next."

Akira asks aloud,

"But what do they want with him?"

"Who knows?...But whatever their reasons, that doesn't change my opinion on the matter."

Clenching a fist to hover over her chest, Athena then says,

"I made a promise to get Hart back together with Kite, and dammit, I'm gonna keep it."

Relaxing, she proposes the following next move.

"Now, first things first, we need to get out of the area, 'cause it's only a matter of time before Nistro and Dextra catch up, and there's a slight chance Quattro and Trey will catch wind of their assumed brother's blown mission."

Akira nods in agreement, suggesting,

"We should avoid going the same way we came and try taking a long scenic route with as many turns and twists as possible. That should help throw our pursuers off our scent."

"Good idea."

"Also...I'm willing to put up my place as another safe zone. It's not in the ideal neighbourhood, as you well know, but given what happened to your road earlier..."

"Right. They could be tracking based on Hart's power freakouts...Thanks."

The young man with aqua-blue irises smiles and nods, before Athena turns around to kneel in front of Hart with a well-meaning expression.

"Listen, Hart...We won't call it a night yet, but we'll have to eventually unless we wanna pass out in an alley somewhere. We're gonna try taking a very long walk around the city, and see if any landmarks we pass trigger something in your brain that can lead us to Kite. If this is gonna work, we need to keep a low profile, which means staying calm, and focused...Sound good?"

"...Okay, I can do that."

"Good. (Slight smile) Maybe if we pass a candy shop, we can get some more Caramel power-ups to give to him."

That half-promise produces a small smile on the young boy's face.

"Really?"

"Sure, but that's if we've got the luxury, okay? We need to be careful-like in our movements."

The young bluenette nods in understanding, before muttering a very soft,

"...Thank you, for everything."

"Of course, kiddo. (Looks over the rest) Alright, everyone: let's move out."

Nods are made, and Akira took it upon himself to carry Hart this time piggyback-style, the former walking on Athena's left while Tiffany her right, and Astral hovered near and above all of them, direction being outward-ho of the wind turbine district...

What the quintet would not expect, however, was a _third threat_ to their livelihoods.

"...Hm?"

Astral senses movement from behind two of the giant white pinwheels as the group near the exit, and calls Athena to stop.

"Wait."

She halts, prompting the others to do the same.

"What is it, Astral?"

"...I sense danger near us...and it is neither of our dual pursuers."

"Neither? Then who-"

Her ears then pick up on the sound of a few low chuckles and laughs, the type that sends shivers down hers and Akira's spines.

"Uh!...No..."

"It couldn't be..."

Tiffany and Hart become concerned:

"Guys...?" "What's wrong? Is it-"

" _Well, well, well_ , isn't this a sorry sight."

Athena stiffens as hard as a diamond when she hears that one hard-edged male voice she detests with a passion, belonging to one of her greatest enemies.

 _Oh, Hell, No..._

He would not make himself visible at first, though; rather, he gives a signal to a few of his people to show themselves. A few seconds later, we'd be looking at about four street punks blocking the exit, including two familiar faces. The first one was the young man with olive skin and viper tattoo on his left arm, coal brown eyes, buzz-cut black hair, and wore those same clothes comprised of a ripped white tank-top with baggy gray jeans held up by one suspender, and black worker boots. The second was the brunette by name of Spears, still wearing the same white tank-top with the black hole symbol the other three housed in their own fashions (ripped, in-tact, muscle shirt, t-shirt, whatever), but now wore skinny purple jeans with a rip in the left knee, and a silver fingerless glove on his left hand...

Trilos's voice bounces across the grounds from seemingly everywhere again.

"What's this, Berserker? You got a part-time career as a preschool escort or somethin' when you're not duelin' like a dweeb?"

The four antagonistic teens on his side snicker meanly in amusement, while the recipient of the insult fought to keep her temper in check.

 _Don't, let him, get to you. That's what he wants..._

"Aaah, and look who's with ya, another member of the traitor club! How's it goin', Aky?"

Akira grimaces in disgust from his old nickname.

"That's not my name and you know it!"

"Was at one time ago."

"Whadda you want, Janko?!"

"Gee, I dunno, take a wild guess...You and the little mutt have been dodgin' me for too long, and I've been waiting patiently for the moment to exact my revenge...And now, I've just discovered the prefect way of ensuring it."

...

The lightly tan-complexioned male with short, spiky green hair tipped with ink and wearing the muscle-style version of the trademark Fallen Stars shirt, those ripped black jeans with the chains hanging off the right pocket, and indigo fingerless gloves matching his boots with blood-red laces rather than white steps into view from behind the five with two more dangerously-dressed teens between seventeen and eighteen. Grinning, Trilos croons to the teens in his line of sight,

"You two ingrates remember what the _best kind of insurance is_?"

(...PUNCH)

"Cauh!"

One wave of a fist to Athena's back was all it took before an all-out brawl ignites, the advantage being the attackers with seven against two capable fighters and two defenseless tag-alongs. Being intangible to this world, Astral is forced to watch in horror as his partner is beaten senseless despite the struggle she puts up, each new blooming bruise and cut to her skin making his heart cry out with terror.

"No!"

 _Athena!_

(...Whap, slide)

"Aauh..."

Five minutes later, we would see the girl with the long plait of black hair tumble to the ground hard, her clothes now stained with dirt and covering the multitude of minor to medium-level injuries littering her body, her knees bleeding from a few shallow cuts made from the whipping of a chain used by one punk.

 _D...Damn..._

Tiffany was the lucky one out of the young teens, only receiving a karate-chop to the back of her head, knocking her unconscious...

As for Akira, he was hardly better off from his old friend, sporting a developing black eye while his light gray shirt now housed a few bloodstains from a cut to his upper torso dangerously close to his neck. He's currently being pinned down by three of the Fallen Star members, struggling furiously as he watches the male with the viper tattoo yank Hart - also unconscious - over his shoulder.

"No! Hart! Rgh, leave 'im alone, you bastard; he's just a kid! He's got nothing to do with this!"

They just sneer down at the pissed teen, while Trilos laughs cruelly and calls over to Athena,

"Here's your answer: the best kind of insurance, is the kind that involves something or someone your opponent cares for."

The girl shakily lifts herself from the ground, and would grow livid when she sees the little bluenette in the hands of her enemies.

"...No...No! Don't you dare; don't you dare!"

Rising with a speed she didn't think possible, Athena readies to rush over and clobber Trilos and his subordinate to get Hart back...

(Whip, GRIP)

"Agh!"

But she wouldn't even get within five feet, when her body is suddenly thrown to the ground again back-first, immobilized by a rope weighed with heavy pegs that wrapped around her wrist and pinned her down!

"No! Rgh, gh, Trilos!"

"Hehahaha, now now, my friend, we shouldn't rush things...unless you wanna put the tyke at a higher risk?"

She glares hard with a growl at the male with dirt-orange irises, who adds,

"You want 'im back? Meet me at the place where art goes to die in two hours, and we'll have that long-awaited Duel Fist match. If you don't show up, _the kid pays the price._ "

"You...Yooou...!"

Trilos's grin widens:

"See you soon, _Fujina_."

And with a maniacal laugh to be left ringing across the grounds, the gang leader and his men leave the area with their new hostage, waving off the enraged teenage girl's outcries.

"No...NO!...Haaaaaaart!"


	41. Past Demons Hitting Far From Home

Hey everyone of the World Wide Web, I'm back! And considering that I'm hitting the home stretch for this semester of university, I find it a little lucky I even have the time to bust out a chapter for each of my stories...That said, for those familiar with all my works, expect more delays for the next two weeks after this one. Ugh, gotta love final projects and exams...

Anyway, being the kind writer that I am, there's something I must warn you about before you continue ahead.

This and the next two chapters coming will have some triggers related to dark themes and imagery, as well as...suicidal thought, so tread carefully. If this is something that you're not comfortable reading, then I would recommend waiting until about chapter 44 when the crazy mood tones down some. I'll try to give a little message for the sensitive hearts in the audience during a few particular scenes envisioned, but this is the main tipper.

Alright? Alright...Carry on.

* * *

 _...No._

 _...No, this is wrong; this isn't right! Not Hart! Anyone but the kid!_

This would be the severely panicked thought that ran through Athena Fujina's skull as she helplessly watches the forms of street gang leader Janko Trilos and his six cohorts vanish in a jog out of the wind turbine district, taking Hart Tenjo with them! Try as she did, the poor girl was unable to stop them, overpowered by the heavy quantity of fists and soles dealt against her body, even with some help from one of her friends, Akira Shima.

Tugging furiously at the wrist that was pinned to the ground by metal-heavy pegs attached to a cord-like rope, Athena struggles to lift herself up to her knees as her outcries became less raged and more desperate-sounding.

"Hart!...Hart!...Hart...!"

Astral, whom had remained frozen through the entire ambush attack, snaps out of his daze to the sound of his friend's wavering tone, and floats down to her level to try and get her attention before her panic escalates.

"Athena...Athena...!"

Yet even he was having trouble keeping his own worries in check.

 _This could not have turned into a more dire situation._

 _Based on what Athena has told me regarding that Trilos brute...there is no telling what could happen to Hart if we do not find him quickly._

A couple feet back, Akira was hanging his head in his hands, growling to himself in an angry kind of shame.

"Dammit...!"

 _I should've kept the kid close to me as we were fighting, or, told Tiffany to take him outta here, and now-!_

 _...Grh...Addy...Hart. I'm, so sorry._

"Mm-mr-hh...A-A-ddy, A-ki-ra..."

The young man with short, wavy black hair and aqua green irises breaks out of his self-berating thoughts when he hears the soft moan of the other teenage girl in the area, she coming to after being harshly knocked out by one of the Fallen Star boys. Turning her way and crawling to her side, Akira helps Tiffany sit up as her vision blurred back clear.

"Tiffany..."

"A...Akira...Uh! What happened; is Addy okay?! What about Hart?! Are they-?!"

The girl's newly messed-up black bob of hair frantically pivots eyes around the area, spotting Athena with a short sigh of relief...which hitches when she doesn't see the young soul with periwinkle blue hair and golden irises.

"...Oh my god...Did, th-they take...?"

Tiffany couldn't finish her sentence out of fear, but would receive a dreadfully grim nod from Akira.

"Yeah...They, they took Hart. I couldn't stop them; they kept me pinned long enough for viper-boy to book it ahead with the kid over his shoulder..."

Cornflower irises began to pool with tears, the owner softly stuttering Hart's name.

 _The poor boy..._

"This can't be happening..."

"Uh?"

Both parties look up at the sound of that latest gritted hiss from the blackette with copper red tips, and look over to see her gripping the sides of her head, almost rocking backward and forward on her knees as more paranoia floods her system.

"This can't be happening; this can't be happening; this can't be happening...!"

 _Why Hart; why Hart; why Hart?! He's an innocent! An innocent!_

Between the sentences conveyed within her mind and out from her chapped lips, Athena's friends felt their concern rise and direct toward the more-than-probable anxiety attack.

"Oh no..."

"Crap..." "Addy..."

(...FLASH)

Once again, the tensely thick air receives a cut from the knife of hostility, when another helicopter spotlight came shining down on their forms! For Astral, Tiffany and Akira, they merely shield their eyes in aggravation from this reoccurring interference...

...But for Athena...it did something much worse.

(Ba-BUMP)

"Gh!"

 _(Flash)_

 _What the celestial being didn't catch from his somewhat-unintended mental read, was that the girl had connected this event to a more personal hurt she can barely fathom._

 _Fragmented, muted memories had resurfaced as she watched Hart being taken away, her vision clouded over with illusions of white-coated figures, dragging away...an indescribable, yet dead-limped humanoid beast shadowed by the bright light of a more spacious room..._

 _What confused and frightened the recipient of this recalled snippet, were these feelings of guilt, rage and anguish._

 _(Flash)_

"...Innocence. Our innocence, s-s-stolen..."

Back in the real time, someone jumps down from the helicopter, prompting Tiffany and Akira to hurry to their feet, minding their injuries.

"Rh! Not again!"

"...Wait...I think, that's..."

Panning over to where they were looking, we see the figure to be Nistro rather than Quinton, his face reflecting that his frustrations have reached their near-end. His eyes lock on Athena's form, and he starts stomping over to get some answers after not seeing Hart on the ground before hopping down.

"Alright, kid, where's-"

He'd be cut off mid-sentence, when the girl suddenly lets out a very loud scream!

"Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!"

Nistro stumbles back with shock:

"Gh! What th-!"

Athena, meanwhile, felt her heart was ready to leap out of her chest, her eyes doe-wide and filled with a paralyzing fear as she scrambles to try and get as far back as she could from the older teen...Only, it wasn't him she was seeing.

 _(Flash)_

 _Her panic had escalated to the point of hysterical hallucination, the spotlight of the chopper acting as a laboratory light, and instead of a fellow duelist...she was facing at least four white-coated figures who had dark smiles etched onto their faces, standing behind a fifth figure dressed in black and gray, whose fuzzy expression was the most sinister, a singular needle held up in his right hand!_

 _(Flash)_

"NO! NO, NO, NOOO! NO, PLEASE, LEAVE ME ALONE! DON'T TOUCH ME; KEEP THAT POISON _AWAY_ FROM ME! I WON'T BE YOUR LAB RAT! NEVER; NEVEEER!"

The girl was screeching like a banshee who had their dress caught on fire, waving her arms in a desperate attempt to destroy the nightmare before her, legs kicking out in a spasmodic manner. Astral was forced to float back quickly so he wouldn't get 'struck' by a fist, and would be staring down at his friend with his protective instincts going through the roof.

"Athena!"

 _What is happening to her?!_

"Auh, she's gone into a relapse!"

His mismatched irises sharply lock onto Tiffany's gasping form, the latter soon running over to her troubled gal pal's side, sliding to her knees and making attempts to grab the girl before she hurts herself.

"HELP! SOMEONE HELP, MEEE!"

"Addy! Addy, please; you gotta calm down! It's not real!"

The red-eyed girl's yells began shifting volumes as her throat became raw and haggard.

"P-PLEASE HElp...SOME-one please, Make it STOp...!"

Nistro could only watch the scene with major confusion and uncertainty written all over his face, finally noticing the injuries on the teens as well as the restraint device on the hysterical soul's wrist.

 _What the hell's going on?...What happened to these kids?_

By this point, the helicopter had landed, and Dextra exits from the cockpit, moving to her partner's side while occupying a critical yet wary expression on her features directed to the activity before them.

"Nistro, what's going on?"

"I don't know..."

"Back up."

"Hm?"

Purple and chocolate-brown irises move to lock with the glaring aqua green irises of Akira, who decided to do something useful in trying to help relieve his friend's frightful state of mind.

"I said back up, right now! My friend's in a very fragile state, and your close presence is not helping!"

"Whadda ya mean fragile?"

"You wouldn't understand...and it's not my place to say in detail..."

The honey-brown complexioned boy's glare hardens protectively.

"But as Athena's friend, it is my place to prevent any possible threat to her mentality. Right now, she's seeing you two as hostiles from a very horrible experience of her past, so you can either back the frick up on your own, (knuckle crack) _or I'll make you_."

The two late teens working under Heartland could sense that Akira was extremely serious, and after glancing at the rocking form of Athena being forcibly hugged to a stop by Tiffany...they reluctantly heed the order, taking several steps backwards towards the chopper...

"Shh, Addy, it's okay, shhhh, just breathe..."

"Nnh-nh! Hhh-hh-hh..."

A few shuddered breaths are drawn...before the girl's teary red orbs blink back to reality, and they dart back and forth to make sure that there wasn't anything here that could hurt them.

"Hnh...T...T-T-Tiff-any...They, they were; th-they were here..."

"Addy..."

"Th...They came back. (Sniff) Th-They were closing in; t-tryin' to-!"

Tiffany hugs her best friend close and mutters soothingly,

"Shh, no Addy, those terrible people weren't there. You were in a relapse...I promise they don't know where you are."

"(Sniff-sniff) Th...They don't?"

"Heck no...You escaped from them; you're safe..."

...Some of Athena's shaking slows, and she weakly wiggles away from the other girl's hold to kneel on her own again, placing a hand over her rapidly beating heart...She notices that it's the same appendage that was being restrained by the corded rope, and immediately began whimpering in fear again.

 _(Flash)_

 _The rattle of metal scraping metal, and a chain flies into view, slowing to showcase the struggling wrist cuffed to a floor..._

 _(Flash)_

"N-No! No, get it off; get it, off...!"

Seeing what was agitating his friend, Akira acts fast and searches his carpenter pant pockets, pulling out a box-cutter from his right.

"Tiffany, here. Use this and cut her loose before she goes into another relapse."

"Right!"

The girl with black-bobbed hair snatches up the closed blade and immediately turns back to Athena so she can help free the latter.

"Addy, Addy! It's okay; I'll get you loose. Just stay still..."

The girl in the black pleated skirt and leather jacket does her hardest to comply, but was still shivering a little violently from visions that wouldn't leave her alone...

"Athena."

Sniffling, she glances over and sees Astral floating near her once again, his eyes reflecting concern at its highest while his face remained calm.

"It will be alright..."

His hand slowly reaches to hover over her shoulder.

"You are with your friends, including myself, not anyone who can hurt you."

"A...Astral..."

A jittery hand lifts itself up to hover over the male's, the owner releasing a deep, shaky breath as her tears slowly cease, her spirit sedated by the presence of the face whom has come to roost in her heart in just a short few months.

 _Astral..._

He smiles the slightest and chides the girl's name back through the mind link, just as Tiffany finishes cutting the rope around her friend's wrist.

"Hah, there...Hm?"

Her ears then pick up on the sound of something swooping down from the air, which would be heard by everyone else, and they all look up to the air behind the chopper...spotting none other than Kite, flying down with Orbital's gilder form!

"Uh!" "No way!"

"Kite?!"

Athena was the last to look up as the blond drops down to the ground smoothly and the Orbital robot unit detaches to reform into his standard form.

 _...Kite..._

"N-Nice landing, sir!"

Ignoring his robot lacky, Kite goes straight to his reasons for coming here.

"Alright, tell me where Hart is. Is my brother okay?...Well?!"

Wincing a little, Akira swallows down a gulp of nerves before stepping to face the eldest Tenjo brother.

"He...I'm sorry, man, but, he was taken."

"...Taken?...By who?"

The blond forms a narrowed glare and swiftly grasps one of the aqua-eyed teen's shoulders in a tight vice.

"Gh!"

"Who took my brother?!...Tell me!"

"An, enemy of mine and Akira's."

"Hm?"

Eyes turn towards Athena, whom had just exited her relapsed state, and was slowly rising to her feet while lightly rubbing her fingers against the wrist bruised by the cord restraint. Tiffany rose with her, having her arms extended hesitantly and watching that her friend didn't trip on herself.

"Addy, maybe you shouldn't get up quite-"

"I'm, fine, Tiff...but thanks for freeing me, (broken smile) in more ways than one."

Catching the meaning in those last five words, the cornflower-eyed girl's breath hitches...

"Whadda ya mean by an 'old enemy' of yours, kid?"

Red irises lock with the dusty purple belonging to Nistro, as the addressee of the skeptic-laced question replies after ridding herself of a few tear streams,

"(Sniff) Exactly, what I said...which is all you and your partner are gonna hear."

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"Oh please, just how dumb do you think I am?...I know who you and Dextra work for, Nistro."

Both late teens stiffen considerably, and Athena softens her glare as she focuses on the boy with steel gray eyes.

"The only one here who deserves to listen to what my friends and I have to say, is Kite, Hart's family, not people who see the boy as-...mh, as nothing more than a wild animal to contain."

Kite's serious expression gives way the slightest to surprise at the younger teen's words.

 _Athena..._

"So, until you two leave, my mouth stays shut, (narrows eyes) and there's nothing you can do to me that others haven't done tonight that'll make me talk."

Tiffany and Akira are momentarily shocked by the girl's proclamation, before they nod in agreement with the implications and form their own firm expressions to send Nistro and Dextra's way.

"Same here."

"Me too. None of us are breathing a word that'll travel back to Heartland."

The face belonging to the young man with spiky soot-red hair contorts into anger from the defiance of the three youths.

"Why, you-!"

But before he could move in, the young woman with short, two-tone purple hair cuts into his action plan with a calmer air.

"Don't bother, Nistro."

"Huh?"

"It's clear these three aren't going to tell the two of us a thing. (Looks at Athena) Though need I remind you, young lady, that we are a part of the World Duel Carnival Disciplinary Committee? All it takes is one word from us, and you're disqualified."

"...And who the hell says I care?"

"Uh!"

Nothing in the young Fujina's expression reflected any interest from Dextra's lesser threat.

"It's become clear recently that this whole tourney's been a sham, covering up another scheme cooked up by our 'dear mayor', and I'm done playing the duped victim. Kick me out, don't kick me out, I don't give a damn. I've got more important things to be concerned with. (Bitter smirk) But I must say, I'm both impressed and disappointed that you'd be willing to deal a low blow like that, Dextra...I would've thought someone who uses a butterfly deck would have more class and her priorities straight."

A few gasps sound from Athena's insult, and Dextra grits her teeth at feeling her pride being bruised...before releasing a cleansing breath to cool the sudden rise of temper.

"Hmph...I don't need to explain myself to you..."

Chocolate-brown irises glance over at Kite for a few seconds, before the source turns to head aboard the helicopter.

"Nistro, we're going."

"Uh! Dextra..."

Nistro hurries after his partner, grumbling to himself,

"Damn, this whole mission's been a waste..."

...

As soon as the chopper was gone, the four teens of varied ages lock focus with eachother, and Kite starts the inquiry again.

"Okay, they're gone...Now what happened?"

Quinton's POV

 _"What?! What do you mean you weren't able to retrieve Hart?!"_

Wincing the slightest from Vetrix's aggravated exclaim, I reluctantly explain via duel gazer from inside the helicopter.

"I'm sorry, sir. I was close to apprehending the boy, but was stopped by the small youth group he was with, one in particular who saw through the power of my crest."

 _"Saw through it?"_

"Yes. I am not sure how, but they seem to be extremely wise to anything that feels like a ruse."

 _Not only that...but something about the girl seems, familiar..._

 _"I see...Haah, very well. We'll just have to shift the plan. Contact your brothers as soon as you can find the boy's signal again, and all three of you are to go after him."_

"Understood."

 _"And Quinton?"_

"Yes?"

 _"...Try not to fail a second time."_

Our connection breaks, and I exhale a breath I wasn't aware I was holding, feeling the weight of my failed mission prod my body...

Hart's POV

"Mm...M-huh?"

 _Wh-Wha...What, happened?_

I finally wake up after being harshly knocked out by something hitting the back of my head...but where I woke up was a total mystery. Rubbing the back of my skull with a wince, I weakly blink my eyes open, only to find myself sitting limply against a pillar on the ground floor of some sort of old building.

"Uh!...Uh..."

 _What is this place?...Wait: where's, Athena, and Astral?_

 _...Kite...my brother. Where's my brother?_

"So you're up now, huh, squirt?"

Jolting a little from the sound of an unfamiliar male voice, I look over to my left, and spot a very scary-looking teenager with acid green hair tipped black who had one of those smirks that spelled danger with a capital D.

"Hh! Wh...Wh-Who are you?"

"Oh just an 'old friend' of Berserker's...though you may know her as, Athena?"

 _Athena?_

"What, do you want with her?"

"You'll find out soon enough...But in the meantime, I suggest you don't cause me any grief or, (knuckle-crack) let's just say your 'saviour' won't have much to save."

I flinch from the threat and the crazy grin on his face, and think to myself desperately,

 _Athena...Kite...someone, please help me...!_

No POV

At the same time Quinton was being rebuffed for his failed mission and Hart comes face-to-face with his kidnapper, Athena regales the events that had came to pass these last couple hours, from when she and her friends first found Hart downtown, to the power freakouts the young boy's body struggled to contain, the near-kidnapping up top the tower situated in the middle of the Wind Turbine District, and finally, the ambush by Trilos and half a dozen of his gang members...

"So let me get this straight: first, a tall stranger with long silver hair whom you suspect is related to this Quattro person tried to take my brother, then you lot were attacked by this punk Trilos, and he took him away?"

Akira nods and replies regrettably,

"Yes. We tried to stop them, but it was seven against two and we were caught off-guard. We didn't stand a chance."

"...And the reason they took him, (turns) has to do with you?"

Kite was staring at Athena accusingly as she receives the last of her medical attention from 'Tiffany, the mobile first aid kit', which she would not reprimand him for.

"Yes. The bastard's been wanting revenge on me for some time now, and, unfortunately, he saw Hart as an opportunity for ransom...See, as much as I was once valued as a strong 'tool' for his disposal, Trilos also knew that I had at least one weakness, and that was my soft spot for younger kids."

The girl grimaces and mutters distastefully,

"Though I could've cared less for my own life, it still disgusted me whenever I saw little boys under ten acting like their so-called 'mentors', sometimes by force, going up against fighters they clearly stood no chance to, or being used as a terrible blackmail to keep some of the weaker-hearted members in check."

Akira sniffs and grinds his teeth in a similar manner to his younger friend.

"I can still remember when they took my buddy CJ's baby sis hostage one day when he tried to bail out on a prize fight a few years ago. Horrible stuff. Poor kid was shaken for almost a week and a half..."

Tiffany holds her knuckles to her lips with a saddened, open-mouthed frown, staring between her two battered friends with pity.

 _They've had to endure so much..._

Sighing quietly towards the ground, Athena looks back up so she was eye-level with Kite again.

"...Kite. I'm sorry that you and your little bro got mixed into my shit. The last thing I wanted was for my past and present to criss-cross and cause people to trip into the danger zone...But thinking about it now, maybe this was inevitable."

She glances over to the skies above and quotes,

"This whole city's become one giant spiderweb, trapping and connecting everyone to motives like the Numbers, vengeance, answers to questions some of us have wondered for years...It's a twisted weave we can only struggle against, with no guarantee of a way out, unless you've got scissors."

"What's all of that got to do with my brother?"

"More than I can explain in the short amount of time we have."

The blond's grey irises narrow a touch at the implication in the girl's latest sentence.

"...You keep saying 'we'."

"Yes, because like it or not, Kite, your problems and mine have now become one in the same...And as much as it kills me to even think about it..."

The bandaged fingers of Athena's left hand curl into a fist as she reluctantly finishes,

"There's only one way to save Hart."

Knowing where she was heading, Tiffany and Akira immediately protest.

"Addy, no! You can't be thinking-!"

"You're seriously gonna give into that psycho's demand?! You could get killed!"

She snaps at the young man with wavy black hair,

"Dammit, don't you think I already know that?!"

"Uh!..."

"It's my life or Hart's, Akira, and I'll be dragged into the depths of Hell before I allow a little kid to be used as a scapegoat!...Mph, (shakes head) I can't let that happen. I just, can't."

A traitorous tear falls from the girl's right eye, which is brushed away with a smudge of dirt in a dulled fury.

"I've, come close to losing you, my own self-worth, and got others in danger because of my past relations with the Fallen Stars...It stops now. Plus, I promised Hart I'd get him back together with his brother, and I'm gonna hold to that promise if it's the last thing I ever do."

Astral could only stare at his human partner in a turmoil of emotions from how raw her strife has become.

 _Oh Athena..._

Kite meanwhile, disguises his disbelief with an impassive expression.

 _She's really serious about this...and, I've got no argument against her. None..._

 _Rgh, damn it, how does she keep doing that?_

"Haah, alright, fine, you've made your point...So where do you think they took Hart?"

Orbital Seven swivels his head towards his creator in surprise by the lack of debate.

"M-Master...?"

The blond ignores the robot...Folding her arms, Athena closes her eyes in thought to Kite's question, almost mirroring the familiar position her seldom-seen friend from another world occupies every now and again.

"Hm, now that, I haven't figured out yet...I do remember something Trilos said before he and his lackies took off..."

 _(Flash)_

 _"You want 'im back? Meet me at the place where art goes to die in two hours..."_

 _(Flash)_

"...'the place where art goes to die'...Mrh, I know that phrase from somewhere, a nickname for a place we used to frequent to during those night raids...Uh!"

Suddenly, it dawns on the girl with the shaggy black plait of hair.

"Oh god...I know where they are..."

Everyone looks at her in confusion from her mumble, before she suddenly takes off in a run while exclaiming,

"I know where they took Hart!"

"Uh! Addy!" "Hold up!"

...The group of four turned five (or six if you count Orbital Seven) was soon speeding along downtown and through a few side streets, Athena in lead, Tiffany and Akira following behind her, Astral floating alongside the young teen, and Kite taking to the air again above the rest with his robot's glider form.

"The old floating art gallery?"

Nodding, the girl with red irises replies to the only other female present,

"Yes. I remember back in my other life, that place was a favourite to head to when we needed a spot to lay low from the cops."

Akira bops his head up and down in confirmation.

"Yeah, it's comin' back to me too: that gallery's been abandoned for more then thirty years and no one's bothered to go in to do any real maintenance...It was the perfect hiding place for street punks who didn't wanna add to their record..."

The blond with steel grey irises calls from up high,

"And you're sure that's where my brother's being held?"

Athena replies back,

"I couldn't be anymore positive if I tried. That old nickname was the giveaway; 'the place where art goes to die'...But right now, we need to step on it. We're cutting close to the end of the time window Trilos gave before he took off."

 _And if he dares to try and hurt Hart in any way...I'll introduce him to a world of pain._

Humming, Kite focuses in front of himself again, following the girl's path while his mind went adrift in his worries for his younger sibling.

 _She better be right, 'cause if this leads to a dead end..._

 _...Hart..._

Flashback, Kite's POV

 _If only things could go back to how they used to be, back when life for us used to be simple, carefree...You might not be able to recall that life at present, but I do..._

 _Our home in those peaceful woods by the small lake, where we used to play all the time each day offered to us at first morning light..._

 _"Hart! Come out come out, wherever you are!"_

 _Ha, hide 'n seek was one of our favourites, you ducking behind any tree within your reach...Yet I always seemed to know just where exactly you were..._

 _"Fo~und you."_

 _"Heh! You win, Kite, like you always do. You're really good at hide 'n seek! It doesn't matter where I try to hide: you can always find me!"_

 _...I need that ability more than ever...But whatever happens..._

End of Flashback

"I will find you this time, Hart. Just call out...Call out to me!"

"Better yet, call out to all of us!"

"Mm?"

I look down and see Athena glancing up at me over her shoulder, realizing she heard me.

"Remember Kite, you're not alone here...You've got others on your side this time, others who want Hart's safety just as much as you do."

Her two friends nod firmly in agreement, and for some reason, seeing this display made the weight on my shoulders feel...a little lighter.

 _Is it, possible...that I'm growing to trust this girl and her friends?... Can I trust them, trust her?_

Small Time Skip, Athena's POV

This would be the only night that I was actually a bit grateful of living that bitter chapter of my life before this one, because it meant that I could recall the quickest route to the old art gallery in the middle of that big pond just outside the city heading into...those woods.

 _Ironic that the old museum's actually none too far away from the Fallen Stars headquarters. Just a kilometer or so off..._

 _Anyway, gotta focus._

"...There it is!"

Looking ahead on Akira's shout, I spot the gallery out on the pond, fenced in by a rusted, vine-covered gate, making it look an awful lot like one of those creepy fairy tale castles...I signal everyone to stop a few yards back from the entrance, Kite landing with Orbital a few seconds afterward. He turns to me and asks,

"Why are we stopping?"

I point ahead to the opened entrance with a serious expression while replying,

"That's why."

As I expected, two of the stooges that came with Trilos before were playing guard dog, arms crossed like they were the bouncers of an exclusive party.

 _Tuh, some party..._

"Suddenly, that place looks less innocent than it does during the day..."

I reply matter-of-factually to Tiffany,

"Yeah well, there's that old saying 'looks can be deceiving'..."

"...So how'do you wanna approach this, Addy?"

Pivoting my head to Akira, I make my case.

"Well under normal circumstances, I'd take the 'punch now, ask questions later' route...but considering the situation, it might be smarter to just meet, greet and let them lead us inside."

"Urh, I dunno if that plan sounds any better...but I won't complain."

Humming, I turn around to fully facing my two friends with me tonight so I could check that they were up for this.

"Now...this is your last moment to really think about what you'll be walking into. Are you sure you wanna continue following me?"

My eyes lock with a familiar cornflower blue that were now at risk of losing some of their innocent shine.

"I'm asking you in particular, Tiff, 'cause...you won't be able to unsee whatever horrors await."

...There's a pause, before she nods and replies quietly but assuredly,

"I know...but I'd follow you anywhere, Addy, be it Heaven or Hell."

My friend who left that other life with me had his answer just as ready.

"Same here. We're not letting you go in there to face that psycho alone."

I was a little surprised by their lack of hesitation, but at the same time, it made a part of my heart smirk to hear their bravery.

"Alright..."

One glance up at Astral's face told me he was behind me all the way too, which just left Kite. I lock my red with his grey and say to him,

"I won't bother asking you since I know what your answer's gonna be...All I will ask is that you leave the coming fight to me, 'cause this duel's gonna have danger unlike anything you've ever witnessed before."

"And you can handle that?"

"...Not like I had a choice back when, but yes. Besides..."

I face the gate ahead of us again with a glare forming and add,

"In the end, all that bastard wants is two things: me, and a rematch. Hart's just collateral."

"Hmph...fine. I'll, let you take lead, but if things go south, I'm getting my little brother out of there by any means, no matter what you say."

"Fair enough...Haah, alright, let's get this crap over with."

With that, I lead everyone in a walk towards the two creeps standing guard by the entrance...  
As soon as they see us, their mouths curve into a matching pair of mean smirks.

"We~ll, look who showed up finally: the freak who don't feel pain and her posse."

"I'll be honest, I was sure you were gonna wimp out."

Keeping my tone even and firm, I spit back,

"Save your flattery for someone who gives a damn. Now take us to Hart and your boss before I get more angry than I already am."

"Oooo, we're shakin'...but whatever. The boss is gettin' anxious for your arrival anyway...Follow us."

They turn around and start walking along the old stone walkway to the gallery entrance, the lot of us trailing behind them...

(Crrrreeeeeaaaaak...)

They shove the double-doors open for us, giving a clear view to the inside: just as broken-down and dusty as I remember, with large, decorative stain glass windows, a few marble statues standing at the sides between the more intact pillars, two of which having crumbled a long time ago leaving two pieces behind, and a set of double stairs leading to a balcony viewing area in the back which matched the one behind us above the front doors...

And sitting limply against the one piece of pillar closest to the stairs, was Hart!

"Auh! Hart..."

 _He doesn't look injured...but..._

Just as I make the motion to hurry over to him, the voice of the bastard behind this whole mess cuts into the air.

"Now now, Berserker, don't forget why you're here..."

I freeze, and watch as Trilos walks out from behind the left set of stairs just as I hear the doors close behind my friends and I...

"Gotta say, I'm impressed that you made it here on time...But on the other hand, you always were the punctual one when it came t' fights, weren't you?"

"Grrrh, _Trilos_...How dare you put Hart's life in danger because of a petty grudge!"

"Petty? You wound me, Berserker...and as for the kid, I haven't harmed a single hair on him."

He yanks Hart off the ground by the collar of his shirt, holding him out towards us like he's nothing more than a rag doll.

"See? No blood or bruises; I'm a man of my word."

Hearing the strangled groan from the little boy's lips was enough to snap at Kite's temper.

"Grrrh, put my little brother down, you lowlife!"

"Ah, so you're the prodigal _Kite_ the brat wouldn't shut up about, huh? (Shrug) Not impressed."

Forming a sick little grin, Trilos then tosses Hart into the arms of one of the flunkies on his side, namely, the one with the viper tattoo, who holds the poor kid with one arm around his neck and the other around his torso, successfully pinning the younger's arms to his side.

"Ah! Nnnh...!"

"Still, if your intelligence goes further than your deck and that Number Hunting crap, you'll stay where you are and not make any dumb moves to steal back your brother before the fight's even started."

Kite growls loudly, and my friends are forced to physically move him to the sidelines before he could make a foolish run towards his captured brother...Meanwhile, I feel a brow raise in slight surprise from my enemy's knowledge about the Number Cards.

"You've heard about the Numbers?"

I felt a bit of surprise from Astral through our mental connection, and my enemy replies casually,

"Of course. Who hasn't heard abou' the XYZ Monsters that make most people go bonkers with power? I for one, don' want nothin' to do with those things. I'm strong enough on my own...But we're getting off-topic, aren't we?"

Trilos's smirk returns as he muses,

"We've got a fight to begin, a Duel Fist match...one I've been waiting a _looong_ time comin'."

Hearing the relish in his voice sent a shiver of disgust down my spine, but I hold my ground and shift my footing to an offensive stance while muttering darkly,

"Can't say the feeling's mutual, and you know damn well why."

"Aw, that's a shame t' hear...and yet, I can't help but wonder if there's a little bullshit hiding behind your hostility."

"...What're you talking about?"

"Come on, don't insult my intelligence, Berserker...Surely you haven't softened that much."

His smirk softens a bit to look like it was inching towards a sentimental smile, but I wasn't about to be made a fool. There was a sadistic dictator hiding behind that 'old colleague' facade.

"I remember the old days when you were the kind who lived and breathed a good rumble, be-it the classic one-two punch or with our duel monsters mixed in...You were the perfect combo of a wild beast and an unfeeling, semi-disciplined machine. Took a good deal of training, but you were virtually unstoppable, even against those six-foot giants!"

Unfortunately, what he spoke about wasn't false, if a little embellished: his description was precisely what I became in the Fallen Stars. I was a youth fighter beyond comprehension, not just because I was a girl nor because of my raw talent...but because my numb body could take so much punishment, which in the interest of confessions...was, a part of the real reason I was there for as long I had been. I was, fruitlessly searching for a way to punish myself for the things that have gone wrong in my life, a way to feel a physical hurt.

 _But what a dumbass move that was...Look where it's gotten me now..._

"And ya know, despite the fact that you've been pissing me off to no end since you turned your back on my boys and me...I can still see it."

My eyes narrow in confusion:

"See what?"

"That spark...the spark of a blackhearted rebel with the fighting prowess of a hornet."

Trilos's smirk curves to look just downright evil come the following accusation.

" _That monster's still in you, Berserker._ "

"Gh!..."

"That's why I can't find it in me to let you go or just ax you. An extraordinary monster like you is not something a guy like me can just simply ignore. See, I either have to find a benefit in using you...or do you in the most epic way possible that'll give my rep the edge it needs."

My eyes blink back and forth between going wide as saucers and narrowing into snake slits, and I found myself backing a step in shock from his obsessive ideals.

"...You're insane. Completely and utterly insane! A monster for your benefit whether I'm alive or dead?...You're a fucking lunatic!"

"Call me what you want; it don't effect me in the least. After all, aren't we all out of our minds in some shape or form?"

"Screw you!"

"Hehaha, that's right, kid, get fired up. _Get angry_. (Grin) You're only proving what my vision shows: your Berserker beast is gnashing at the bars of your Athena cage, begging for its release."

"Shut, up!"

My fists were clenching tight enough to threaten blood flow, my voice cracking and seething in a rage ready to pop like a hot air balloon...

"Don't listen to his garbage, Addy!"

My head turns sharply to the right towards the sound of Akira's voice, and I see him looking at me determinedly from beside Tiffany's right while Kite and Orbital Seven occupied her left, all standing by a stone statue of some ancient scholar.

"He's just trying to provoke you into doin' something stupid! Don't give him banter!"

Tiff adds,

"Akira's right! Besides, you're nothing like that girl from the past!...You've got so much more feeling, something and someones to fight for...That's Athena all the way."

 _Guys..._

"I agree with them both."

I glance over my left to meet Astral's eyes as he says to me,

"It is not worth the energy to become angered by what that brute is saying. That would mean playing the part of his false characterization about you...Also, (looks forward) you must not forget the other unfortunate soul on the line in this grandstand..."

 _Astral...That's right, Hart._

My vision takes me over to the captive boy, his face scrunched up in fear with his eyes closed like this was a bad nightmare, a few whimpers escaping his lips as viper boy kept his grip on the other. My anger dissipates almost instantaneously, replaced with a deep concern.

 _Oh Hart...I'm sorry. I can only imagine just how scared you must be right now..._

I form a newly determined frown:

 _Just hang in there for me, kid. I'll get you away from these bastards even if it takes 'til dawn._

Focusing back on Trilos, I call to him in a much calmer but stern tone,

"Enough of your psychee nonsense! Let's get this damn fight started already!"

"Fine by me! I'm ready to rumble if you are... _But first..._ "

He quickly slips his unopen duel disk on, before shooting out what I knew was going to come before we got our equipment set: the Duel Anchor...

...

But unlike the normal version of this inescapable device, Trilos's Duel Anchor acts more like a hangman's noose, streaming out the red rope to go looping around both our necks like a choke collar used on vicious dogs.

"Gh!" "Hnn!"

I hear my friends cry out my name in alarm, as well as two startled noises sound from Hart and Kite each.  
The latter's mini-mech, as usual, had a word or two to say on the matter.

"Whaaaat?! Th-That's not how a Duel Anchor s-s-suppose to work!"

 _Not in a traditional duel, maybe...but this is exactly how it works among the Duel Fist pros._

I kept my cool as the red line fades from view, while Trilos wasn't bothering to hide his increasing excitement, chuckling with a toothy grin.

"Oh this must bring back a memory or two, don't it? The ole Duel Leash. (Glances at the sidelines) For the green people who don' understand this version of the anchor, I'll keep the story short: we at the Fallen Stars have found alot of very interesting ways to modify the Dueling Experience to include a much better _danger factor_ to it. For example, once you've been slapped by the Duel Anchor, you and your opponent can't separate, right? Heheheheh, well, with the Duel Leash, you've got a real reason to stay in one spot..."

He sends a look my direction, before jumping back a foot and snapping the energy rope, which in turn, causes the knot to tighten around my neck loop!

"Ghh!"

 _(Flash)_

 _I couldn't help but remember the first time this was used on me. Trilos himself tugged me into the ring one early morning, saying that he believed I was ready for the next level of dueling in the underground..._

 _Little did I know that it was but another excuse to both test my grit and torture me a little. The moment that red noose shot around my neck, I was fixed to head right into panic mode (a rare emotion I felt during those days), dropping to my knees with wide eyes..._

 _"Don't, struggle."_

 _Thankfully...I wasn't alone. Akira was there too, and he had already gone through what I was being subjected to. He dropped to my level at the same time I did, sure...but he was alot calmer than my younger self was._

 _"J-Just, slow your breathing. Relax, against the rope, or you'll choke...and that's what they want."_

 _(Flash)_

 _Right...relax..._

Recalling that whispered advice during the worst of times, I crane my neck back a little, and slow down my breathing, keeping my eyes straight ahead. Though even with the grit, Trilos could see a trickle of fear in my eyes, and would not skip a beat in mocking me discreetly for it.

"Ha! You see?! You'd have to be a coward with a death wish to try and run away from the Leash! Keeps you and your opponents in line, with no choice but to play, or pass out from lack of air."

 _Or die, depending on the mood of the aggressor..._

Shifting my footing and bending my head back a bit more, I grind out with a bit of hoarseness in my tone,

"I think they get the picture...!"

He hums with a tilt of his head, before chuckling and letting go. I suck in some well-deserved air while sputtering a cough or two, stumbling forward a bit and letting a hand drop to rest on my knee...

"Are you alright?"

Panting more steadily, I side-glance at Astral and reply through our telepathic link,

 _I'm...I'm fine...Not the, first time I've had this around my neck..._

"I see...Athena, I must be honest: I do not like this at all. This is already becoming too dangerous, and the battle has not even begun."

My eyes soften a little from the amount of concern in his tone.

 _I know. Believe me, I hate this as much as you do...but there's no turning back now._

 _...And, Astral?_

"Yes?"

 _...If at any point the action becomes too much for you to witness...I won't stop you from ducking into the key until it's all over._

"Uh...Athena..."

He shakes his head and replies with an expression that looked like his usual passive...yet with some subtle differences around his eyes: a shine in his pupils and crease in his brows that leaned towards a glare not out of anger...but, out of pure and serious determination.

"I appreciate your consideration towards my mental as well as emotional state...but as your friend, I cannot fathom the idea of leaving you to your own devices in such a compromising situation, especially after all the times you had not done so for me...No. I am not going anywhere, Athena. I will stay here and help you in any way I can, no matter how difficult the fight may get."

 _Astral...(Nod) Alright. It's your choice...thanks._

He and I share a quick flash of smiles, before turning focus to my, or rather, our opponent.

"Duel Disk, go! Duel Gazer, show me the impossible!...Time to finally make an edit on the past, so I can write my future!"

Trilos follows after me with his own dueling equipment, clicking his Duel Disk awake and showcasing the colours of an acid green base and rusty orange spatters.

"...Hehehehahaha! Time to crush a few skulls!"

He snaps on his gazer with a smirking grin, it sharing the same colour scheme.

"I'm gonna enjoy making you _suffer_..."

 **Augmented Reality Vision Link Established...Activating Alternate Duel Zone.**

After the initial AR opens, I feel that familiar wave of energy blast from the center like a teeny tiny supernova, indicating that this other reality will have a more, realistic quality to it...

 _I swore to myself I would never go back to dueling like this...but for Hart's sake, I'll face my demons head-on!_

"(Both duelists) Duel Fist! Draw, Punch, Battle-on!"


	42. The Horror of Duel Fist, Part One

Chello, my fellows! Here be part one of the crazy Duel Monster match between my main OC and antagonist OC.

So, some Author Maintenance beforehand.

Throughout the course of these next two chapters, I'll be drawing on some cards that'll be more familiar to the classic Yu-Gi-Oh! realm, specifically that of a certain gambler duelist whose history will also be touched on. In that light, I hereby indite the following disclaimer: I do not own any references, subtle or otherwise, to the original _Yu-Gi-Oh!_ manga. Such copyright ownership belongs to the fabulous creator, _Kazuki Takahashi_ , as well as publishing companies _Shueisha_ and _Viz Media_.

I do however, own one of the cards that's featured, a creation of my own imagination, a Rank Three Monster by name of Deranged Roulette. If you wanna know more, keep reading 'cause I'm not giving the details away this quickly, lol.

...Hm, what else? Oh yeah! You'll notice that Athena's deck will be a bit different than previously. See, I'm gonna start to gradually shift gears here and try to make her card structure a little more, unique and fit her personality a bit better. Not that it hasn't been interesting to write Yuma's deck as her own...but after some deeper analyzing and research, I think it'd be wise to start down a new path, while ma~ybe keeping a few of the original protagonist's cards. We'll see.

On that note, since I'll be working to craft in some better originality, I would greatly appreciate some assistance on your part. If any of you have some good ideas for cards to add into Athena's deck or perhaps one of my other OCs for this story, don't be shy and send them my way. But please, for the sake of my sanity as well as yours, **do not, flood, the Reviews!** When in doubt, PM me and I'll have a little looksie as soon as I can. I'll more than likely not use all of them, but every idea will be helpful in getting the creative juices sparking as we continue along.

...Phew. Okay; I think that's all I gotta get out at this point in time. Once again, heed the content warning made in the last chapter, and off we go!

* * *

We return to the unraveling situation at hand within the abandoned floating art gallery just outside the downtown corridor of Heartland City, just as Athena Fujina and Janko Trilos begin their long-awaited Duel Monsters match...

However, one could very well classify this battle as more of a shootout, both sides seeking to beat the other to a literal bloody pulp rather than simply bruise their egos. Yes, true, the former is here on the more noble intention of rescuing the younger sibling of an almost acquaintance...but who says that had to be her only reason for coming to meet deck-to-deck as well as fist-to-fist with the street gang leader?

...

On the sidelines, Tiffany swallows down some saliva building up in her mouth, and asks the older boy next to her,

"U-Um, Akira...?"

His aqua green irises glance sideways to meet her cornflower blue.

"Yeah?"

"...Just, how physical, is this fight gonna get?"

Cringing, the young man with golden-honey skin reluctantly replies,

"Lemme put it this way: whatever aggressive duels you've seen before will look like a game of hopscotch after tonight."

"Mph, that's what I'm afraid of."

 _Addy..._

Though something in his steel gray irises suggests a mild interest, Kite nonetheless found himself scoffing a little.

"Are you sure you're not exaggerating just the slightest?...How bad can this 'Duel Fist' battle be? It sounds like a game played by neanderthals."

The girl with the black bob of hair makes an indignant sound at the blond's seemingly uncaring tone, while Akira turns to frown at the late teen before retorting,

"It's answers like that which tell me despite your growing infamous reputation, you're still quite ignorant to the underground dueling world. I'd pay close attention if I were you...Maybe you'll start to understand the lengths Addy and I once had to go through just to survive another day, and protect our monsters."

Orbital Seven makes the motion to shout at the middle-aged teen for his comment about Kite's knowledge, but the blond gestures them quiet, glancing at Akira with a flash of surprise before focusing back on Athena...

She meanwhile, breathes in deep as the AR world finishes setting up, preparing herself for what may come.

 _Well Addy, here you are, back in the old ring that you've been trying to avoid for more about two years now..._

 _I was hoping I'd never have to expose my monsters to this brutality again, but, some things can't be helped._

 _...I just have to remember who I'm doing this for, and I'll make it to the end._

"Athena?"

She blinks out of her pep talk and glances over at Astral whom despite his usual calm stance, had a gleam of worry shining in his mismatched eyes. Sighing quietly, the girl forces up a smirk and chides,

"It's okay, Astral...It's, not like I could avoid this forever after all. Besides, it's just Trilos, and I've gone up against four of his boys at once way back when. This match will be easier than it appears to be."

A small, weak smile forms on the face of the being from beyond.

"As much as I would like to share in your confidence...I cannot help but worry for you. You are basically being pulled back into the past you have been trying to move away from."

He looks ahead at the male with black-tipped green hair, his expression forming into a distasteful frown.

"Though I have not seen him in action yet, based on what you have told me and what I have seen regarding his personality...I can already sense that Trilos is not the type to leave his opponents unpunished."

"Mm, you're not wrong. His strategy's as brutal as they come. Hell, Quattro would look tame in comparison...But getting swallowed by a whirlwind of fear's not gonna help me."

Quickly shucking off her leather jacket and exposing her white tube top, Athena proclaims while tossing the article of clothing for one of her friends to catch,

"I just need to stay calm, keep true, and I will beat him!"

"Ha! That's what you believe, huh?"

Amber red irises lock with burnt orange as Trilos comments with a mean grin,

"Stayin' cool under pressure can only get you so far, as you well know! You also need a killer's instinct, be unafraid to bash a few heads to get the job done. Clearly, I need to remind you about what it means to live it with the Fallen Stars!"

He grips his free hand over the first card in his deck and swipes it up.

"My move! I Draw! First, I send one monster in my hand to the Graveyard...Then, I summon Machina Soldier to my field!"

A Level Four monster with the appearance of a robot warrior with mint green/silver armour and a single thick blade for one hand arises in front of their wielder, 1600 Attack Points on display...

"And when I successfully bring him out while I have no other monsters on my field, I can Special Summon another Machina monster from my hand. So here comes, Machina Sniper!"

Another Level Four monster arose on the soldier's left, their appearance a little more lean and carrying a large futuristic fire rifle in their right hand, and with Attack Points resting at 1800. Smirking a little, Trilos adds,

"When Sniper's out on the front line, no other Machina monsters other than him can be attacked, so good luck tryin' to land a blow against my Soldier. Heha!"

Narrowing her eyes in thought, Athena mutters to herself,

"So this monster's got an ability similar to Stray Cat. Just a little more basic..."

 _He's got Sniper acting as a human-or, I guess robot shield for his Soldier._

"I end my turn with a face-down. You're up, punk!"

...Unbeknownst to the duelists and main audience members, standing atop one of the marble statues on the left side and watching from above after arriving before Hart's rescuers, were Trey and Quattro!...The two survey the battlefield and comment,

"Well this looks like it'll be an interesting duel...But we mustn't forget why we're here: we need to get Hart and take him to Vetrix."

"And we will, just relax. We've got plenty of time to scope out the match before we have to complete our mission...Besides, Quinton hasn't even shown his face yet, heh, not that I'd blame him for not coming after his blunder in the Bay Area."

 _Personally, I'd like to see for myself how that little wretch managed to take down my older brother so quick. She's gotta have more than that strong punch she gave my shoulder earlier today..._

 _Plus, I wouldn't mind watching the girl squirm some._

"You want it, you'll get it, Trilos! I Draw!"

Glancing at the card she drew from her deck for a second, Athena forms a quick plan to start executing on her first turn.

"I summon Flelf to the field!"

The Level Two warrior elf with golden-blond hair, deep blue cloak and lance hops onto the field through the summoning circle, displaying their 800 Attack Points for all to see. Her two friends standing by Kite and Orbital Seven on the sidelines were a little surprised by the rather, basic start.

"Huh?"

"That's, a little underwhelming..."

The blond teen with green bangs and steel gray irises hums with a touch of curiousity behind indigence.

"Tch, what a rookie move."

 _But, then again...that may be the point..._

"I then activate Flelf's ability: once per turn, I can reveal one monster in my hand, and increase his Level by that monster's until the end of my turn."

"And what's the point of that? You're just giving away your moves."

Smirking slightly at her enemy's snide comment, she replies as she reaches for another one of the cards in her hand,

"Not necessarily...The monster I choose to reveal in my hand, is Golden Ladybug."

Athena holds up a Level One monster with the appearance of a jewel-like insect - which also has no Attack or Defense Points - for all to see.

"So Flelf's Level increases to three, (small grin) and then I activate Ladybug's effect. Once per turn, whenever they're revealed in my hand, I gain a 500 boost to my Life Points."

Said total increases from 4000 to 4500...but Athena was not finished.

"Next, I summon Fire Princess to the field!"

Level Four and with 1300 Attack Points, the monster rises in a whirling flame on Flelf's right, revealing herself as a beautiful young woman with long, grey-silver hair that had stalks of burnt flowers woven at the top, ivory skin, and carrying a wooden staff while wearing a dress of dull orange under a long, sweeping red cloak.

A short-lived smile of reminisce graces Athena's lips as she thinks to herself,

 _About time I have mom's favourite card make their debut in my deck..._

"And under Fire Princess's ability, each time I gain Life Points, you take 500 Points of Damage."

Trilos grits his teeth on the defense, and the girl with the long, tamed-down plait of copper red-tipped black hair raises a commanding hand to direct,

"Fire Princess, hit 'im with your magic!"

Said royalty of the element twirls her staff before swinging it down diagonally, unleashing a small wheel of fire to go shooting through the air to hit the enemy duelist, blasting against his chest while his Life Points lowered to 3500.

"Grrh...!"

"I end my turn with one card face-down, which means Flelf goes back to his original Level, and Golden Ladybug's nowhere to be seen."

As said monsters revert back to their starting positions, Astral comments internally,

 _It would seem she's fortifying her defenses, (glance) including setting that Trap Card..._

 _The Shift Trap allows a duelist to change the targeted monster of an Attack, Spell or Trap effect with that of another monster that would not be as dramatic a loss. A very useful card when wanting to avoid total annihilation...  
_

His mismatched irises turn to glare a little in suspicion at his friend's current opponent.

 _What surprises me is that he did not try an XYZ Summon straight away with both his Machina monsters...but perhaps he has something more in mind._

 _...Then there was that card he sent to the Graveyard. Was it something he plans to revive later, or simply an undesirable card?_

"Ha! You call that a good field? All I see is a bunch'a easy targets...I Draw! Now then...how 'bout we give our audience a crash course of how a Duel Fist fight really works, eh?"

...Another shockwave of power rings through the floor from the center to the edge of the battlefield, before the area glows to reveal a red net texture...

"Now normally, I'd just send Machina Sniper to go attackin' your Flelf and be done with it, (smirk) heh, _but where's the fun in that?_ While the Duel Fist Zone's in effect, your opponent gains the option of allowing the regular fight to happen...or, they can take their monster's place as the target and protect them from destruction. If they do that, the duelist has to evade attacks for as long as they're able until it connects."

Tiffany mutters to herself in surprised confusion,

"So then your opponent becomes a moving target instead of having their monster destroyed?"

Akira nods in confirmation.

"Yeah, but there's a little more to it than that. Just listen..."

Trilos finishes his explanation just as a timer for two minutes appears above the battlefield, with a counter made from three light-bulbs on a metal base next to it.

"Now then, getting to the point of the exercise: for every two minutes you're able to dodge, your potential for damage is cut down by a third, and that third is dealt to whoever invoked the zone rule as damage. Heh, lookin' at it like that, nobody's safe...So, what's it gonna be?"

He taunts with a gleam in his orange irises,

"You _brave_ enough to go into a rumble with my Sniper, or will you let your Flelf get shot down?"

Breathing in deep, Athena replies without any hesitation,

"I think you already know my answer...I'll take Sniper on and protect Flelf!"

A few gasps sound, including that of the shadowed Trey.

 _She's actually willing to risk direct damage to save her weak monster? What could she be thinking?!_

"Heha, I knew you'd say that!...Alright: Duel Fist Battle, monster versus duelist, begin!"

That red netting rises over Athena's body and Sniper's for a short moment...before both sections dispel in a cluster of pixels...The field becomes as quiet as the dead for a few micro-seconds...before the Machina monster cocks his modified gun and aims to shoot straight at his new target.

(...Pow)

An energy blast flies, and the girl with red irises acts fast, ducking and rolling to her right to dodge. Because he was hovering close to her side, Astral was forced to fly up high to avoid the impact as well.

"Uh!"

 _Oh my...!_

"Hh, hh, hh, hh..."

He follows his ears to see Athena crouching down and catching her breath, thinking to herself,

 _That, was close...ah!_

She then scrambles to run forward from another shot, heading into the monster field where Sniper was waiting. They rush forward, intending to blast their target in the stomach, but the latter dodges by jumping up into the air!...From the sidelines, Tiffany's mouth gapes with shock at what she's watching.

 _...This is insane!_

Akira clenches his fist and grits his teeth in his own worry and distaste, praying for some sort of success on his old friend's end, while Kite's own eyes widen a little at what he was witnessing.

 _This is different..._

The next minute and a half had everyone on pins and needles, or in Athena's case, burning for a chance at less of an impact.

 _Hah, hah, almost there. Just fifteen more seconds..._

She bends backwards to dodge another shot from Machina Sniper, so far that her hands touch the ground...

 _Five..._

 _Four..._

 _Three..._

 _Two..._

 _One..._

 _Zero!_

A beep sounds from the clock, and one light-bulb blinks to life in a blue glow.

 _Yes, made it to the first interval!...Ulp!_

(Ka-cank...POW)

"Gaaaaaaahhhhhhh!"

Unfortunately, Athena would not be able to near-miss the next shot from the monster, and is blasted straight back to her starting spot! Letting out a chuckle as he watches his enemy roll to a stop, Trilos comments,

"Alrigh', so you were able to make it to the first two minutes. You lose a third of the damage you would've taken...Still, 1200 Points of Damage is nothin' to laugh off."

As said receiver of that bulk struggles to get up smoothly, her Life Points sink to 3300...

"Meanwhile, that third you lost is taken off of my total."

Trilos's Life Points drop to 2900, which hardly deters his mocking smirk.

"But that doesn't scare me a bit, especially since that was only round one...Round two's comin' your way with Machina Soldier! And once again, you have the option to either let your monster get destroyed, or take their heat. Heheh, you can't possibly be crazy enough to do a second round..."

Glaring back, Athena retorts,

"Can't I?"

"Hm?"

"I offer myself as a shield for my monsters again, so go on! Hit me with your best shot!"

Astral exclaims his human partner's name in warning, but she ignores him while Trilos shrugs with an amused expression.

"Ha! Guess you are that crazy. Maybe you haven't so much gone green and just lost your shit...Either way, it's good news on my end, (grin) because this allows me to punish you through the entire duel. You heard her, Machina Monster: slice her to ribbons!"

On that note, another battle between monster and duelist commences, and Athena would once again scramble to evade the sword of that robotic soldier...At one point after the first minute, she's backed into one of the giant marble statues.

"Hh!"

(Sla-SHING)

She barely misses getting her head sliced in two, bobbing it to the right and leaving the monster's blade to embed the rock...Sensing eyes on her form, the girl glances up, and gasps quietly upon spotting,

 _Trey and Quattro?!_

"Damn...!"

Noting the new agitation in her expression coming from outside the realm of battle, the young male with golden-honey skin darts his attention upward to lock onto the two spying forms.

"Gh! Oh shoot...!"

Tiffany asks him,

"What's wrong?"

Pointing upward, Akira mutters,

"We've got some secret audience members, that's what, and they're not the good kind."

"Hm? (Looks up) Uh! Quattro and his brother! When'd they get here?!"

"...You know what? Who knows, and who cares. Our main priority should be keeping an eye out so they don't try anything funny while everyone's distracted by the Duel Fist match."

Having listened to their conversation and knowing precisely what the other male was referring to, Kite glances between the hidden brothers and his own younger sibling, before vowing to himself with a dull burn of anger in his eyes,

 _If those fools even take so much as one step towards my little brother, they'll regret it with their lives._

Getting back to the more perilous action, Athena succeeds once again in making the first two minutes without getting hit...but would not go any further than that.

(SLASH)

"Urrgh!"

The monster then lands a good cut across the girl's right arm, and as it hops back to Trilos's side of the field, her Life Points drops too 2233, while her enemy's only sink to 2367. Hart exclaims from his involuntary seat in the audience,

"Oh, no!"

 _That creep's ahead of her with life...Athena...!_

Meanwhile, Trilos continues displaying his enjoyment of the course of the match with an increasing sadistic pleasure.

"Hehahahaha, I actually expected you to last longer that time. You've really gotten rusty, haven't you, Berserker?"

His lips curve into a mean little sneer as he adds,

"But then again, Life Points aren't the only thing you should be concerned about, am I right?"

Athena almost forms a confused expression in response...until she feels something dripping down her right arm.

"Hm?"

Glancing down at said appendage...her eyes widen the slightest when she sees that tell-tale red liquid streaming from a reasonable cut into her skin! Cursing quietly, she thinks to herself bitterly,

 _So it begins..._

Having seen the injury as well, the girl with cornflower blue irises covers her mouth with a horrified gasp.

"Oh god, Addy...your arm...!"

 _How...How can that be?! That kind of injury shouldn't be possible in the AR!_

 _...Unless...is this the power of the Duel Fist Zone?_

Almost as if he picked up on Tiffany's freaked-out question, Trilos belts out another guffaw and exclaims,

"And this is why I love this Duel Zone! The damage...it becomes more _lethal_ than ever before! Hehaha, Hell, it can get so bad, some poor saps have even died in these fights!"

Tiffany lets out a frightened squeak, and even Orbital Seven makes a startled comment.

"Died?! Th-That's not logical in Duel Monsters! It should ne-ne-never get that rough to warrant a danger to one's health!"

"Logic's got nothin' on the underground, ya bucket of bolts."

"Huh?"

He extends his head to peer over at the lowlife who continues to hold Hart hostage, who grins and punctuates,

"In our world, it's kill or be killed, and the Duel Monster game's no different. If that's somethin' you can't handle, you get out of the ring and let a real warrior show you how it's done."

The youth with green spiky hair tipped black nods in approval to the description.

"Couldn't have said it better myself, Viper. The Fallen Stars is no place for sissies: it's for wild freaks who don't know what their limits are."

He turns to look over Athena with his burnt orange irises.

"At one time ago, you were one of those people...and from what I'm seeing so far, you still are, if a bit soft for the little guys."

"Grrrh...!"

"But we've got time to reminisce. I have a turn to finish up, don't I? Alright...I activate from my hand, the Silent Doom Spell Card!"

A giant humanoid hand manifests onto the field left of Machina Sniper, and begins siphoning a light from the Graveyard portal...

"I can use this card to Special-Summon one monster from my Graveyard in Defense Mode. 'Course, the only drawback is that the monster can't attack after being summoned this way...Heheheh, but their defense strength will more than make up for it."

 _Plus, with my special trap lying in wait, my monster will 'technically' get a shot at dealing that punk the kind of blow she'll never forget._

"Rise on back, Pendulum Machine!"

The Level Six monster rose from the hexagram, revealing itself as some sort of living torture device made from bronze metal, with two large talon hands at its sides, set flat against the ground to help balance the huge pendulum blade swinging in the middle backwards and frontwards, 2000 Points making up a strong defense.

Tiffany whines out a noise of nerves with her right fingers curled to her lips and her left hand balling her friend's leather jacket tight, while Akira comments with a glare,

"Looks like somethin' out of a psycho killer movie..."

"My turn ends here. Show me what you've got, kid, if you haven't already began to cower out!"

As he stares down at the panting form of his human partner, particularly at the new bleeding cut on her arm, Astral thinks to himself with worry creeping in,

 _Of all the dueling scenarios I have witnessed, heard of and even participated in since I first arrived in this world...I have never known one that actually has the...potential of death for the duelist._

 _And this, was once a regular occurrence for Athena?...It is a miracle her body only carries a few deep scars and not more..._

"Pendulum Machine...I know that monster."

"Hm?"

He snaps out of his anxiety to the sound of the girl's voice, the source herself squinting her amber red irises at the new beast a small distance away.

"It's one of those old school cards that isn't used in alot of today's decks anymore, mostly because they're not as easy to come by. Half the time, they'd have to be inherited off an olde-...Wait...No way..."

 _He couldn't, possibly be..._

"What is it, Athena?"

"...There's only way Trilos could've gotten his hands on Pendulum Machine."

She darts her vision to the enemy duelist himself.

"You inherited that freaky machine from another's deck, didn't you?"

"Heh, took you long enough to remember...Yeah, that's righ': while most are more familiar with the 'heroes' of the Dueling History, I like to think of myself as an expert of the lowlifes and villains. Does the name, _Bandit Keith_ ring any bells?"

"Bandit Keith?...Uh! As in Keith Howard, the infamous American Card Professor?!"

"The very same."

Trilos jabs a thumb at himself and proclaims with a proud grin,

"You're lookin' at the last direct descendant of one of the greatest Dueling Champs of America, back during the game's golden age!...At least, until the creator took 'im down in that mockery of a duel."

Putting her right hand on her hip, Athena adds,

"Yeah, I've heard of that jerk. Didn't he have one of those brutal prize hunter personalities and only played the game as another opportunity to gamble?"

"You watch your mouth! His reasons may not have been moral, but his strategy was top notch! Grh...and then that _fruitcake_ Pegasus just had to go and ruin his streak by making a fool out of him during that televised duel. I dunno how he managed to pawn Keith's moves beforehand, but that should've count as cheating...It all went downhill after that for him, trying to drown his sorrows in the underworld before attempting revenge against the one who done 'im wrong..."

Trilos's orange irises were practically blazing by this point of the history summary, despite his calmer tone.

"People may say he died a fool, but I believe his actions were justifiable. I mean, really, think about it: at what time do any of us not hit a low point and head down the dark road to get compensation for everything that's gone sideways? Anyone judging before experiencing are the real fools, a bunch'a blind, self-righteous wussies. I still wander the dark, my boys do the same...and you. You may claim to have turned the other cheek, but I can see it in your eyes: you're still drownin' in the shadows with the rest of us."

Athena recoils a little from the accusation, before retorting back,

"You're wrong! I'm nothing like you and your band of lost souls! I escaped back into the sun and haven't looked back!"

"O~h then by all means, go on ahead and prove it."

"Gladly!...I Draw! First, I reveal Golden Ladybug in my hand again to gain 500 Life Points."

Her total rises up to 2733...

"And that allows me to activate Fire Princess's ability again, so prepare yourself for another 500 Points of Damage!"

For the second time, a wheel of flames is cast forward to hit the opposing Duelist in his chest, taking his Life Points down to 1867.

"Rh!...Keh, that's the best you got?"

"Who said I was done? Next, I summon Goblin Elite Attack Force to the field!"

A second Level Four monster rises up next to Flelf's left, comprised of about four to five green-skinned creatures dressed in the silver/gold armour of the medieval knights, each one carrying a lance at ready to fully demonstrate their collective strength of 2200 Attack Points. Tiffany and Akira smile a little with hope, each commenting,

"Nice!"

"Army's beginning to grow. You got this, Addy!"

She sends a small smirk back at them, before sharing a stare with the third human member of her audience.

 _Kite...don't worry. I won't let this bastard get away with messing with Hart._

He hums a bit and nods the slightest back as if he read her message, and she turns to focus on the field in front of her.

 _Now, let's see...I could try attacking his Machina Sniper. Hell, even Pendulum Monster's vulnerable enough to being destroyed..._

 _But on the other hand, there's no telling if that face-down will somehow block me or if he has a card in his hand that will do the same._

 _...Besides, the nature of this duel's not like the regular ones. The duelist's life is at a higher risk than their monsters._

"Okay...I end my turn, and once again, Golden Ladybug's flipping back to being unseen."

"Kh! Tryin' to play it safe and strengthen your defense, eh? That's gonna cost ya I'm afraid."

The gang leader swipes out a new card...

"I'm gonna show you why you should've destroyed one of my machines while you had the chance, by bringing out the most disturbing beast in my deck, one that even the late great Bandit Keith would tremble before!...But first, a little prepwork: from my hand, I play the Level Tuning Spell Card! Now all my monsters' levels drop by one until the end of my turn!"

In which case, Machina Soldier and Sniper each become Level Threes, while Pendulum Machine becomes a Level Five...

"Now then, the coup de grâce! I Overlay both my Machina Soldier, and Machina Sniper!"

Both monsters form into orange streams of light that go flying through the air, diving right into an aerial red vortex portal...

"I Xyz Summon, Deranged Roulette!"

...

...

Suddenly, a bunch of bullets come shooting out back the other way to blast the ground, the blaring echoes of each shot causing most to cringe and/or cover their ears...Once the smoke clears, we would see the Rank Three creature summoned, in the form of a black-clad stranger the height of a typical teenager, wearing a black hoodie with the hood up, moth-eaten pants and shoes that held...questionable stains near the soles. Their right hand trembles, making the gesture of a handgun over and over again, and we see the two Overlay Units circling their form in an almost, hesitant manner, like they didn't want to be around this monster. Overall, they did not appear overly strong, as made further evident by the 1000 Attack Points.

Orbital Seven was the first to make a comment about the latest summon.

"O-Only 1000 Attack Points? Seems a little weak, especially contras-sting such a, creepy appearance..."

His human master narrows his steel gray irises in suspicion at the new arrival, noticing that Akira was starting to shake a little while looking at the monster with a flash of fear in his aqua green eyes.

 _He knows what this monster's capable of...and based on that expression, it can't be anything pleasant._

"I now activate Roulette's ability, Suicide Bullet!"

An overlay unit connects with the trembling right hand of the monster, causing them to freeze...before lifting their head and revealing a pale, sunken face that was grinning like a madman!

"Now, here's where we put our grit to the test."

Deranged Roulette quickly shoves their hands into their hoodie pockets, to pull out a twin set of silver revolvers...One weapon each is tossed to be caught by the opposing duelists.

"Uh!"

Catching hers, Athena looks down at the gun with wide eyes.

 _...No...No, he's not suggesting...!_

"We're gonna play a little game of Russian Roulette, Duel Monsters style! We both aim at our skulls, and each take a turn pulling the trigger. If it fires, that player is hit with 1000 Points of Damage. If it's a dud, nothing happens...So then, Berseker."

Trilos points his copy of the revolver at his head with a taunting grin.

" _Think you got the balls to play a game with Death?_ "

Up atop the marble statue, Trey takes a turn in letting out a gasp, his green eyes wide with surprise.

 _Russian Roulette and Duel Monsters in the same space?!...Unreal...!_

His brother Quattro, meanwhile, had found a new thrill to grin at.

"Hehaha, wow, even I can't make my duels this brutal! What a riot!...There's no way that twerp can do it; this duel may as well be over and done with!"

...Based on the expression of the said girl of subject, the Asian Champion's comment may come true. Athena could not respond to her enemy's taunt, her eyes locked onto the gun in her hand as she swallows down a new lump in her throat.

 _...Russian Roulette..._


	43. The Horror of Duel Fist, Part Two

Hey fellow writers and readers; I've returned at last!

So sorry for the long delay...I got hit with a bit of family drama and it's, taken me a while to recover back to a normal speed. Then work has been draining me significantly the last several shifts...And, then I got distracted by my Tomb Raider games when I got a hold of new controllers (I'm sure some of you have been in the same boat with your own gaming systems), aheheh...

Anyway, I'm hoping the slower pace will be worth it in this concluding part of the battle between Athena and Trilos. Also, would like to mention another card of my own creation, a trap called **Ultimate K.O.** Like last time, what it does is left a surprise until you get to its debut.

Once again, heed the content warning I placed two chapters ago, as this last piece will be the darkest yet.

May the writing gods have mercy as you read on.

* * *

 _...Funny little thing, Time._

 _(Bang...thump)_

 _People argue that it passes by slow and steady, like water droplets down your skin after you first step out of the shower..._

 _(Bang...thump)_

 _But what they don't seem to understand, is that Time knows no bound, isn't fixed. It can go painstakingly slow or stupid-level fast any time it chooses..._

 _(Bang...thump)_

 _I myself have seen Time's many sides, felt all kinds of speeds...so much in fact that it's become difficult some days to understand just, how many hours have passed..._

 _"Geez, you must have God by the ears, Berserker! That's the third guy you've taken on this week, and you're the one walkin' away alive...What's your secret?"_

 _...Just recallin' that poser's question is enough to get the bile building up...The scene of me, sitting at one end of this old, battered round table with a bunch of other ghetto punks - Trilos included - to play the same horrible game I'm forced to participate in right now...except those guns were_ _not_ _part of the AR._

 _...Remembering my numb, dead-eyed expression, as I lift the hand weapon to gaze over with a tight-lipped smile that meant nothing...It stuns me that it's only been over a year and a half since those weeks in the danker parts of the city..._

 _Because to my spirit...these memories feel like they've been torturing me for_ _decades_ _._

"-thena...Athena!"

"Mph!"

The girl with amber red irises cuts her depressing reel of thought short when her ears finally tune into the sound of Astral calling her back to attention. Breathing out a quiet, shaky breath, she sideglances the blue-skinned being hovering at her left, indicating that she's perceiving his presence...

Noting the haunted shine in her eyes, Astral's next attempt to get the human to speak would be conceived more gently.

"Are you...alright?"

...Athena makes no verbal reply, losing her stare with the mismatched gold and white, choosing to look back down at the revolver in her hand, the metal gleaming as dangerously as any lethal weapon would be in the real world...

"Hehahaha, what's up, kid? You're lookin' a little pale. Oh wait, lemme guess: some _pleasant memories_ decided to come out and say hi?"

...Oddly enough, the recipient of the question doesn't flinch from her sneering enemy this time, choosing instead to tighten the grip on the gun's handle just the slightest. Meanwhile, her friends, allies and uninvited audience members were staring at the battlefield with new levels of horror written in their expressions. Yes: even though a sadistic remains, Quattro was beginning to question the nature of this house-rule Duel Monster match.

 _What's that punk mean by-...Unless...no way..._

 _(Shocked glare) No, way that girl actually used to-I mean, sure, she's got a rough front, but...still...!_

"Brother...y-you don't think, he means to say that he and the girl, used to play the, real life version of...?"

"Beats me, Trey..."

The upturn of mouth falters for a more grim reflection.

"And for once, I don't think I wanna find out."

Just as he confesses to that opinion, we notice a bit of movement from the upper balcony behind where Trilos stood, and zoom in to see the third member of the brother trio under Vetrix's command observing the duel from the shadows.

 _This is by far the most brutal form of dueling I've ever seen...and only now has it been taken to a more psychologically-challenging level._

 _How will the girl overcome this, I wonder?_

Said person responsible for the new layer of danger widens his smirk a bit, thinking he had his opponent backed into a corner.

"Heh, guess I can't necessarily blame you for freezing up. Even some of our best fighters are fixed to wet themselves when Roulette crashes the party...Still, I find it disappointing in a way that you're letting fear get to you now after all this time. Nothing seemed to hold you back in the old days, yet here I am watching your progress in this godforsaken tournament letting the 'Good Samaritan' role string you like a puppet and screw you worse than my club could've ever done!"

Cracking his knuckles, the young punk with eyes of burnt orange rages on, starting to feel like he's being cheated out of his revenge.

"Come on! You seriously gonna make it that easy for me?! I'm not makin' it easy on you! Has the mere thought of Death gotten that scary for you?!"

"...I don't believe in Death."

"Huh?"

Now that wasn't the response that Trilos expected, nor the rest of the souls in the room. Athena meanwhile could care less, numbness flooding her emotions from the dark grey memories that came to pass...including a recent recollection.

"Not since...since it ignored my pleas back in that hell."

 _(Flash)_

 _"Stop iiit! Stop it, stop, lemme outta heeeere!"_

 _A thin fist goes flying through the air to smack against a strong wall as the owner falls into yet another fit of madness._

 _"Make it sta-aaauuuuhhhh!"_

 _That hand's twin joins them in gripping the skull of the girl with ember-red irises as another wave of visions pass through her mind, which must have been very terrifying back then to warrant the spastic expressions of horror on her face..._

 _Finally, it all becomes too much for the poor young captive to handle._

 _"JUST KILL ME, PLEASE!"_

 _Falling to her hands and knees, the disheveled and weakened Athena breaks into an ugly sob, whispering frantically between her tears,_

 _"Kill me...I-I can't take this torture, anymore. Someone...a-anyone. Just kill me. End it all...!"_

 _(Flash)_

Shaking her head of the nightmare fuel, the current Athena utters with the slightest catch in her grim tone,

"...No matter how many times I begged for Death to come, it just continued to allow those bastards to keep running their sick little tests, and they weren't about to let one of their more 'healthy' creations die on them. Fruitlessly, endlessly, I prayed for something to just, _end me_ , take me out of this world...but nothing happened. I was, forced to keep living...even though I didn't want to."

Tiffany felt her own eyes gather with tears as she listens to one of her friend's most darkest confessions.

"A...Athena..."

 _My god...She was, s-suicidal?...Is she still...?_

"So anyone who thinks I have any faith in things like God or Death can go suck a lemon. Those beliefs mean jack to me...As far as I'm concerned..."

The cylinder of the revolver is spun, before the barrel raised to meet the side of the teenage girl's head!

"Death is a hoax."

(...Bang)

The whole room save the acting leader of Fallen Stars flinches and grimaces to the sound of the trigger being pulled...but then Orbital exclaims,

"Aaaauh! I-It was a dud!"

Smoke from the gunpowder dissipates, revealing Athena's emotionless glare...

"It's not a force that comes easy for souls like mine, and I'll more likely be dancing on tombstones until it gets bored of me. So for now...Death is dead to me."

As she lowers the AR weapon the same time it dissolves from her hand, Astral tries to still the shaking in his body from what he's been forced to witness.

 _...No words can describe...Oh Athena...to feel so helpless to such torture..._

 _(Flash)_

 _The memories of his homeworld being attacked by that mysterious meteor force replay in his mind..._

 _(Flash)_

 _...I think I may understand how that feels. Perhaps not on the exact level you do, but...I can sympathize._

"Astral."

"Mm!"

The nerved vibrations in his veins quell instantaneously at the soft call of his human partner's voice, and he meets his mismatched gold/silver-white irises with her ember red, the latter's still holding to a dull shine but with some life returning.

"Don't, read too much into what's comin' out of my mouth. Most of it's old word vomit...I...I don't, let that particular dark suggestion guilt me like it used to. (Grim smile) If I did, chances are we wouldn't be where we are now."

"I...I, suppose that is true."

"(Nod) But...I, appreciate you're trying to understand my issues. And, really, I guess we both know what it means to feel so helpless, it drives us to the brink of insanity...Yet we fight to let our true emotions show, because we don't want to burden the ones we care about. (Knowing smirk) Not that you can really fool me nowadays."

Astral begins forming an expression of protest...until a thought occurs to him based on recent events that which involved a test of trust and connection between he and the girl near him...His own lips form a minuscule smile of his own, and a very short, dry chuckle escapes before he remarks,

"Yes...It would seem our bond is becoming so strong, that we see through one another's walls. I have certainly begun to pick up upon certain, emotional cues which tell me when you are far from yourself, such as right now. (Small frown) This is the worst I have seen in terms of your, depression...and it is fueling this desire to stop 'standing on the sidelines' as it were, fight with you."

"Heh, well, sorry for spooking you with that skeleton in the closet...and, I welcome any amount of help you can give me, 'cause, if I can be honest, I'm running on tactic fumes instead of actual fuel."

"Of course."

"...But we better let that asshat finish his turn, so hang on."

Turning her attention back to her opponent with a more or less neutral face, Athena then calls over to Trilos,

"Think that qualifies as having the balls, so to speak. Question is, can you do one better?"

"G-Gh...!"

Fighting the urge to snap into a violent hissy fit, said gang leader expels a short growled breath and slaps the cylinder of the revolver in his own hand to whirl, lifting it to aim at his temple.

(...Bang)

And just like the other duelist, he too receives a faulty shot!

"Kh! How's _that_ for balls?"

A shudder passes through the girl with bob cut, raven black hair, and she whimpers before burying her face into the other blackette's leather jacket for some sort of comfort.

"(Muffled) Someone tell me when this is over...! I can't stand this level of crazy...!"

Nearby, Kite finds himself striking a small conversation with Akira, seeing as the latter was the only other person in the room with a fair amount of knowledge for this version of the popular game while still keeping his sanity.

"...Is this truly how punks in the underground execute the Duel Monsters game?"

"Well, I dunno how far the popularity's spreading, but Fallen Stars isn't the only gang that plays this way if that's what you're asking...At one time ago, or so I've heard, there used to be a shred of honour in the matches...but nowadays it's become nothing short of a contest to size up an enemy. Nothing proud to display on your record as a duelist."

"Do the authorities know anything about this?"

"Tuh, not for a lack of trying, but they've got a long ways to go before they can really do anything. The biggest problem is that most cops don't take a kid's words as serious as they should, all because of dumb stereotypes about punks being distrustful...Although..."

The young man with golden honey skin glances at the girl with cornflower blue eyes.

"Tiffany's dad is one of the few officers I think is worth trusting..."

Sighing deeply, Akira stares at the ground while muttering distastefully,

"Though in today's world, it's hard to know which adults are worth a kid's trust...Far as I see outside say family, most are stuck in their habits, view the youth as tools...I think you should understand that as well as the rest of us in your own way, you and your little bro?"

The late teen's steel grey irises widen a little from the characterization...and rather than deny, he just turns away from the younger male's stare to watch the battlefield once again as the more antagonistic duelist wraps up his turn.

"Alright, so that ability was botched for both of us. Big whoop. I still got one more overlay unit to use later...For now, I'll be bringing forth one more beast to help me turn you into roadkill. Come on out, Assault Wheel!"

As soon as the card touches the disk, the monster counterpart would come revving fast onto the field, revealed as some sort of mechanized giant truck wheel warrior robot complete with twin multiple rocket shooters on its shoulders, Level Four and with 2300 Attack Points.

"Anyone who prefers to get it done quick would attack right now, but I'm one of those 'prolong the torture' guys...so here ends my turn."

Relaxing his stance a little, the young man with acid green hair tipped an inky black sends a grin his opponent's way.

"Let's see you crawl your way outta this one, Fujina."

Athena's POV

Seeing his sadistic little sneer is enough to make me wanna retch, but since that's not gonna help me come up with a game plan, I swallow down my bile and focus on getting my next card.

"(Swipe) I Draw!"

 _Alright, let's see...I've got Golden Ladybug, Damage Mage, Inferno, and Crow Goblin._

 _Flelf and Goblin Elite Attack Force currently make up my army, but is that gonna be enough?_

Knowing he could hear my thoughts and was looking at my hand from over my shoulder, Astral's response doesn't shock me.

"...I am surprised you did not use Damage Mage sooner to save yourself. You know that you cannot rely on Golden Ladybug for the entire match."

 _I do...but something in the back of my head's telling me to use Damage Mage later, and not for her special ability._

There's a beat of silence between us...before he replies,

"If that is the case...perhaps our main focus should be on trying to diminish Trilos's army while we have the opportunity."

 _Really? I would've thought you'd try to keep arguing Defense._

"Normally, I would...yet it has become increasingly obvious that in this version of Duel Monsters, Offense is the best Defense. If one hesitates for too long, it will cost them greatly."

We look over at the enemy's side of the field, soaking in the images of (shudder), Deranged Roulette, Pendulum Machine, and now Assault Wheel...

"Currently, it would seem that Pendulum Machine is most vulnerable, even with such a strong Defense. Our Goblin Elite should have no issues in taking them on...Of course, that is assuming Trilos does not try to use the Duel Fist Battle Zone to skirt his way around the damage."

 _Yeah well, I'd say he's not that crazy...but since I learned about crazy watching him, it can go either way._

I decide that it's a fair enough risk, especially since Astral was willing to take a crack at it. Sucking in a deep breath, I shoot out a hand and order,

"Goblin Elite Attack Force: target Pendulum Machine!"

My green-skinned warriors ready their long-range weapons...

"So what'll it be, Trilos? You gonna let it happen as it is, or try and save your monster?"

 _I've seen him sacrifice monsters like this one in the past. No way he's actually-_

"I'm spinnin' the wheel, Raggedy Ann!"

* * *

Note: References to the infamous doll belong to creator _Johnny Gruelle_.

* * *

 _What?!_

I gape in shock, and he just laughs my expression off while stating,

"You think you're the only one willing to run into the wrestling ring blind? You forget who made this version of the game popular! I live for the rush of teasing the target practice, so come on, ya overgrown geckos: hit me with your best shot!"

Since he made the call to challenge, my goblins didn't have much of a choice but to charge at Trilos rather than my intended target, Pendulum Machine...

One may believe this is a better opportunity to deal a serious blow to your opponent's Life Points, right?...Well, that person would be terribly wrong, because in terms of going toe-to-toe with monsters, this bastard of a gang leader is - much to my displeasure of admitting it - a champ. Every thrust of my goblins' lances was dodged almost perfectly!

(Thrust)

"Ha!"

(Thrust)

"Nothin'!"

One jab did force Trilos to drop down low into a split, but that hardly deterred his smug expression.

"Keh, you ugly little knights have got nothin' on me."

 _Damn..._

What would be the worst way to add insult to injury? Oh wait, here's how: Trilos pulling off the next-to-impossible by dodging my monsters for the entire six minutes, effectively making my attack useless! While my two good friends and Hart gape, Kite's eyes widened considerably and Orbital was ready to have a field day.

"Wh-What skill! He evaded Athena's Go-Go-Goblin Elite like they were tree branches!"

I myself chose to grind my teeth in frustration at the failed attack, while Astral mutters,

"This is not good..."

 _No. This is gonna be bad..._

"Woo! What a way t' get the blood pumpin'!...Still, must suck to be you right now, (grin) because now all that damage wasted on me is gonna shred your Life Points down further. A shame, really..."

I growl as his observation comes to light, my Life Points rolling away to sit at 1033...

"And ya know what? It's only gonna get worse for ya, 'cause now, (holds out hand) I can finally activate my Trap Card, Ultimate K.O.!"

 _Ultimate K.O.?...Oh shi-!_

I recall what that specific card is capable of just as it flips up, reflecting the chilling image of a weak fighting-type monster getting the stuffing beaten out of him by three larger, tougher illusions against a red background...

"This is a card that can only be activated in the Duel Fist Zone, and when the player takes a third or less of the damage intended during an attack...As for what it does..."

(Vwooom...Vwooom...)

The field begins sparking up that red net background again, only brighter this time...and darker...A similar hazy sheen then rings around all of Trilos's monsters, their eyes dulling into a pitch black, making my stomach churn slightly.

 _Craaaap..._

"Let's just say my monsters are temporarily free from the rules of traditional gameplay. It won't add up to alot of damage in the end, which blows, but still, being barraged by all my monsters directly's nothin' to smile about, now is it?"

Cussing under my breath again, this time I hear a protest from one of the 'birds' atop the statue, Trey.

"What?! All at once?! How can that be allowed; there has to be a rule against that kind of strategy!"

 _Hmph...so he might have a guilty conscience after all._

"There are no rules in Hell, pinky! It's either fight your way out, or prepare for endless torture!...Of course..."

Trilos suddenly sends a leering grin in the direction that...Hart was standing at.

"There is, _one way_ the opponent can save their skins."

 _...Wait...No. No!_

"Viper. Back up from the kid a sec."

Said punk does as their told, a dark chuckle under his breath as he steps away, making the young captive all the more worried.

"Wh-What's going on...?"

 _No. He wouldn't dare-!_

Oh, but he did. All it took was one subtle gesture to his XYZ Monster, and they moved as crazy-fast as those new age vampires do to snatch up Hart, and zip right back to the middle of his field!

"Aaaah!"

"Hart!"

If my heart wasn't hammering in my chest before, it was now.

 _No! Hart!_

"Like I said before: nobody is safe once the game of Duel Fist begins, not even the audience! All it takes is the right card, and they have to play a part in the action too!"

 _Trilos, you son of a-_

Obviously, I'm not be the only one seething with anger: Akira and Kite were right behind be.

"Janko, you scum-sucking bastard; you've gone too far!"

"Let my little brother go now!"

Said creep just lets their aggravation roll off his shoulders.

"Yeah sure, love ta do that, fly-boy, but there's one little problem: it's not up to me."

His burnt-orange irises lock back on my form as he explains,

"It's up to Berserker over there to decide the kid's fate."

(Ka-chaaallllllk)

The cylinder of the revolver is spun by that mental mess of an XYZ monster as it lazily points it at the chest of its innocent hostage, who looks too frightened to scream or even faint. It sickened the anxious part of me so much that I'm currently holding myself firm from throwing up on the spot.

 _...My god...Hart...!_

"Now if our previous turns hadn't been gettin' the memory reel rollin', I'm sure this one is."

That smirk grows a touch grim while barely wavering in the evil humour he held for this sort of crap.

"One absolute that everyone in the Fallen Stars will follow through no matter their make, is that to save your own skin, you gotta offer up others. This card's a perfect example of testing that grit: either you take the fall or have someone else do it for you. Me and my boys don't got qualms over using the audience as a shield...and if I recall, there were a few times even you did the same thing whenever this card was played."

...

...

I can't make any sort of retort to his claims...because unfortunately, he's telling the truth. There were about, thirteen different times that this card was played in a Duel First match...and I chose to let a member of the audience become the target just to escape damage. In all honesty...I'm not, completely apologetic about it either. I suppose I should be, logically, but since they always ended up being a punk who was long gone into the underground life before I even arrived, I just assumed they were used to the punishment by that time. Yep, another detail of how numb and uncaring I was over a year and a half ago: I didn't give a damn about my own well-being nor that of others, with the exception of Akira perhaps...

...But now...now my heart's ready to burst out of my chest in a flurry of emotions, fury and fear being the highest, not only because this sick bastard's basically torturing my mentality...but because there's an innocent involved. Really, that was the sole line I could draw back on that old dark path I used to roam: no innocent souls get hurt.

 _(Knuckle-crack) And he just crossed that line..._

"So, what's it gonna be: your life or the kid's? Don't keep us waiting, Berserker."

"... _Are you friggin' kidding me right now?..._ And you say _I've_ lost my shit?"

"Hm?"

For once, the creep looks rather puzzled by my response, but I'm far from done. This is my opportunity to really put Trilos in his place, and I wasn't gonna waste it even if it costs me.

"Do you honestly believe I would stoop so low, as to allow a little kid to be my scapegoat? Seriously?!...Incase it hasn't clicked to you by this point, I'm not the same little emotionless puppet I was back when, and even then, I had one rule: no, innocents, get, touched! You just crossed the ultimate line here, pal, and for what, just to stimulate some old persona?!"

Pointing my finger at the enemy, I add with a harsh punctuation,

"You've gotta be the most despicable coward I've ever come to know, Janko Trilos! You want my answer? I'll be dead before Hart takes a blow meant for me! Do your worst to me if you can with your monsters, but let him go first!"

No POV

The entire entrance foyer of the floating art gallery grows still with silence from the red-eyed teen's outburst, shock and awe written in high levels all over the occupants...The first one to break out of his trance is Trilos, frustration and irritation etching into his features.

"Grrrh! Fine!"

He waves a sharp dismissal at Deranged Roulette, who slowly releases and lightly pushes the young boy with periwinkle blue hair out of the battlefield area, the latter staggering sideways and almost tripping on himself.

"Uh!...U-Uh..."

"Hart...!"

Sensing the chance to get his brother away from danger, Kite quickly begins running to grab Hart. Unfortunately, Viper had a similar idea.

"Guh! Hey!"

"Hey yourself, poser!"

(Whack)

"Kauoh!"

He only gets about an arm's length of the young boy before Akira's fist comes flying forward to punt him hard in the gut, knocking him off his feet to go slamming into a nearby pillar, effectively pushing the air out of him and rendering him unconscious...Staring down at the punk in disgust, the young man with the golden honey complexion then glances over to watch with careful eyes as the older blond tentatively walks over to the little boy with haggard golden irises.

"...Hart...?"

"B...Big brother..."

"You just signed your death certificate, _you little bitch_...!"

Attention turns back to the dueling field come Trilos's next exclaim, his burnt orange irises aflame with anger over the failed attempt of messing with Athena psychologically...His right arm rises, before his finger snap echoes through the air.

"Haze her!"

...

Three frigid seconds pass like an arctic wind, before all three of Trilos's monsters sprang against their target of interest! The first one that reaches the other duelist's proximity is Assault Wheel, speeding fast to trap the girl in a circle with no possibility of escape unless she wanted to turn into roadkill. This also effectively separated herself from her own monsters and Astral.

"Athena!"

Cringing into a defensive position, all she could do was send a warning glance at her friend from another galaxy to stay back...

(Leap, slam)

"Hauh!"

Then came the true first offensive measure delivered by Pendulum Machine when they make a grand jump over their blurring teammate to land directly in front of Athena, before swinging their axe forward to cut the girl's side as she barely dodges getting sliced in two!

"Aaaagh!"

She wouldn't be offered alot of recovery time when Deranged Roulette suddenly appears behind her to deliver a hard punch to her spine. Falling on her front, the ember red-eyed girl tries to scramble to the edge of the circle to avoid the two other monsters, only to get blown back to dead center courtesy of a missile explosion from the third one entrapping her within this brutal direct attack...

Watching her friend's body being battered mercilessly by an unfair amount of opponents was enough to pluck the heartstrings of Tiffany to the point that even a pair of dull scissors could cut them.

 _No...No, Athena!_

"Stop! Stop this, please!"

Dropping the leather jacket in her hands, the girl with cornflower blue irises began rushing over to rescue her duelist companion, despite Akira's protests.

"Wait, Tiffany, don't!"

"Athenaaa!"

She would stop when Assault Wheel slows their rolling around enough so that their victim was visible, and as soon as their eyes lock, Athena barks authoritatively,

"Tiffany Quen, don't you dare take another step closer!"

Screeching to a halt, Tiffany stares at her bruised and bloodied friend with disbelief and fear for the order, the latter pleading through gritted teeth,

"S-Stay, where it's, s-safe...!"

"I'd listen t' her if I were you, sweetheart."

"Hn?!"

The girl with black bobbed hair darts her head to look in the distance where Trilos was, he giving her a sadistic smile while adding,

"Otherwise you'll just become another casualty like the little brat would've if Berserker chose to use him as a scapegoat. Heh, I remember dozens of instances where if it wasn't this card, another one will make the environment unsafe for everybody. You don't need Life Points to get suckerpunched by a bat-crap crazy monster."

Tiffany shivers from the dark implications in the street punk's words, before jumping from the feeling of a much more gentle hand on her shoulder belonging to a grim-faced Akira.

"...I'm sorry, Tiffany...but it's best to step back."

"B-But, what about Addy? She's-"

"I know, but she's been through tougher fixes than this...It won't be a pretty sight in a few minutes, (looks at the battlefield) but she'll live."

 _Which is really the only thing someone in the underground can hold onto...The power to live._

Up above the rest of our audience, Trey and Quattro watch as the young female soul continues to get thrashed around by the three monsters, the former reflecting a horrified expression while his older brother's face had fallen into a strange calm, one that to a more observant eye would be translated into an awakening disgust to the violence below.

 _...Is this, what I do to my fans?...Is this what could happen, if the AR turns real?_

Higher still and continuing his own observation from behind the balcony pillar, Quinton steals a quick glance at his immediate youngest brother's reluctant features before turning his gaze back down at the battle, a gleam of concern shining in his light sea blue irises.

 _It seems Quattro's conscience is stirring again...and I can see why._

 _...The poor girl..._

Finally, the onslaught of the Ultimate K.O. Trap Card comes to an end, and the three deadly monsters cease their attacks on their single target, turning to wander back to their wielder's side of the field...

"Oh, right, one more thing: not only do you lose 100 Life Points, but one of your monsters is destroyed as well."

As if reading his mind, Deranged Roulette lazily points their revolver over their shoulder to shoot at Fire Princess, eliminating her in a cloud of pixels as Athena's Life Points roll down to 933...

But that hardly registered as a problem to the girl, currently on her knees as she fought to get her breath back from the punishment delivered to her body, cuts and bruises decorating where her skin wasn't covered, heavy sweat stinging the open wounds. Panting heavily, she thinks to herself with a haggard resolve,

 _I...I made it...I survived..._

 _(Flash)_

 _The sound of glass crashing from an overwhelming weight echoes through the air overtop the rush of raging flames, and we see a small figure roll forward to meet the grassy grounds of what appears to be a forest clearing._

 _"Hah...hah...hah..."_

 _Shifting as quickly as they could to stand up, they're revealed as noneother than Athena, dressed in a torn-up pair of soft gray pants with a matching shirt, her feet bare and ankles displaying some scarring from something that was once clasped around them..._

 _Turning behind her, the younger teen watches the place she was previously held captive in burn in an unforgiving inferno._

 _(Flash)_

"Rh...!"

 _...Another memory...  
_

She wouldn't be the only one experiencing a troubling remembrance. For the first time since his arrival on this planet, Astral's memory receives a jolt not caused by the return of a Number Card...but based on the image of his torn-up, abused friend.

"Uh!"

 _(Ba-bump, flash)_

 _An extremely blurry figure is viewed through his mental vision, perceived as humanoid standing on a pathway of sorts with some sort of long shapes sticking out from one side..._

 _"-ho ar- y-...Wha- a- you?..."_

 _Their voice, muffled but carrying a young, distinctively feminine tone, so foreign...yet somehow, familiar..._

 _(Flash)_

"...Uh..."

 _What, on, earth?...Was that, another one of my memories...?_

 _How can this be? I should only have recollections of who I was based on the Number Cards returned to me._

 _...But on the other hand..._

He redirects his focus on Athena as she attempts to lift herself up, only to stumble back into a half-kneel.

 _There has been evidence suggesting my own memory and Athena's may be more connected than either of us are aware..._

 _...Is it possible then that a few of my memories may not have left my mind through the Numbers, but have been suppressed by a trauma shield like hers?_

 _If so...then why?_

The blue-skinned being is cut out of this new train of thought before it could leave the station, to the tune of a certain antagonistic teenage boy's cruel laughter.

"Awww, yesss! Now that was the most satisfying sight I've had for a long time! Finally, you get the punishment you deserve. So, how's that blood tasting in your mouth, traitor?! Bet you're starting to regret ever double-crossing me! Hehahahahaha!"

Said victim says nothing in response, too focused on clearing her throat and coughing up a bit of that red substance to go spattering the floor in the process...

"Athena, are you alright?"

Shaking a little from the physical pressures on her body, the girl attempts another try at standing up again, replying to her dueling partner in a gritted whisper,

"Ch-koff, I'm...I'm fine."

Hovering closer to her side, Astral asks worriedly,

"Are you sure? You have taken a heavy amount of damage, and I do not just mean to your Life Points."

"Hah...I know...but, I have to press on."

Gingerly bending back up straight, the weathered-down teenage girl adds between pants,

"Things may, have taken a turn, but we're not at the last page yet...I still got this, hah. Just need t' think..."

"...Athena?"

Humming in confusion to the softer address, she turns her eyes to see Hart looking at her in his own worry.

"Hart..."

"I...I'm sorry. (Sniff) I'm so sorry, that you have to go through all this, just for my sake."

The young boy's golden irises well up a bit with tears, prompting his older brother to kneel down and embrace the former from behind in a gentle hug, murmuring their name in a serious but concerned manner...

"No. Don't be sorry, Hart."

Both Tenjos look up in surprise by the dry remark, noticing the new weak smile on Athena's lips.

"None of this is your fault. If anything, I should be apologizing to you and your brother for getting caught in, my old demons...Demons I thought I left behind, but should've faced more strongly a long time ago...But hey."

She forms a light smirk and holds up a scratched-up fist determinedly.

"What's a couple bruises and cuts? I'm standing up, aren't I? The game's still on...And what I need you to do, is stay close to your brother, be brave, and pray for victory...Can you do that?"

Hart gapes a little from the lack of fear in his friend's voice...before closing it and nodding firmly.  
Bobbing her head back, Athena then turns attention to the battlefield once again.

 _Alright...with Fire Princess gone, I lose my rejuvenation-damage combo with her and Golden Ladybug..._

 _Still, that shouldn't stop me from making sure I last until my next turn..._

"Athena."

"Hm?"

She pivots her head left to meet Astral's eyes as he tells her,

"I believe I have, caught onto what sort of strategy you have prepared for the rest of the duel, and I must be blunt: you are steering down another risky path...And yet..."

"Yet what?"

A small puff of air passes through the blue-skinned being's lips before he admits,

"And yet I confess to being...a little impressed by the skills you are displaying."

"Huh? Impressed?"

"Yes...which has me wanting to ask you this question: while I am not fond of this-pardon my phrasing, 'brutish' side to your dueling, why is it only now I am witnessing a more calculated strategizing?"

Athena couldn't respond at first...but then shrugs and responds through their telepathic link,

 _Can't really offer a straight answer...'cause I'm, not so sure myself. I mean...I guess since, there was usually so much on the line during a Duel Fist match, I couldn't really afford to screw around._

 _Compared to a regular duel, each move meant a step towards Life or Death._

"I see...I think I understand, yet, I cannot help but feel you are wasting your talents."

 _Keh, then you're not the only one...But, for you at least, I'm gonna work on putting my best into every kind of duel from now on. Start removing the facade...'cause I think I've been playing myself wrong for long enough._

"That is good to hear, for we both need to be at our best come the trials ahead."

Nodding, Athena hurries to grab one of the cards in her hand and complete her turn.

"The battle's far from over! I activate Golden Ladybug's ability, and gain 500 Life Points to my total."

The number raises from 933 to 1433...

"And with that, I end my turn."

Her opponent swipes up his next card from his deck.

"My move then! I Draw!...You may have trudged your way through the Ultimate K.O., but here's where I send you to hell! Assault Wheel!"

His large truck wheel warrior roars its engine to life, burning rubber while warming up the twin rocket shooters on its shoulders, its target being a certain Celtic elf warrior...

"Blast that scrawny Flelf to pieces!"

Several shots are fired, the missiles heading on a straight course for Athena's most vulnerable monster, much to Tiffany and Akira's worries.

"Athena!"

"If that attack connects, it's all over!"

The girl herself wasn't feeling ill at ease in the slightest, the corner of her lip curling up slightly.

 _Just as I thought he would..._

"I activate the Shift Trap Card!"

Her face down flips upward, showing off the design of a shiny armoured figure behind a dark monstrous figure, with arrows creating a counterclockwise switch-off.

"Now I can change your monster's targeting to attack a different monster. In which case, Goblin Elite Attack Force will be taking the punch for Flelf instead!"

On that note, the armoured goblin knights move to form a protective wall in front of the swords-elf...

"Ha! Somehow I knew you'd pull a half-ass trick like that, and my Assault Wheel's got an ability that'll make your trap look useless! Go, Shield Explosion!"

The missiles gleam with a new shine as if they were dipped in stainless steel...

"You'll be losing alot more than just a member of your army, because whenever Assault Wheel attacks a monster in Defense Mode, the difference is dealt as damage!"

(Wiiizzzzzzz...BOOM)

Athena's monsters within one are blown to pixelated bits in an instant, leaving the poor blackette to go flying backwards with an outcry as her Life Points drop to 633. Astral would feel the bulk of the aftershock as well, whirling the opposite direction until he barely makes an aerial recovery before he would join his human companion on the ground...

"Well, here's where my turn comes to an end. I'd do more, (grin) if I wasn't enjoying how much your writhing from just one blow. Plus, I'm curious to see what you can do, heha, if you got any moves left, that is!"

Trilos stretches his arms to gesture to his monsters.

"There's no way you can take down all three of my monsters in just one turn! You may as well surrender now and save yourself from a humiliating defeat!"

As the gang leader continues to laugh maliciously, Akira found himself turning his aqua irises away from the battlefield, gritting his teeth in anger and disgust from this familiar scenario.

 _Damn it...Why did these bastards have to crawl out of their hideout? Why can't they just leave us alone?_

 _...Guess it's true what they say: you can take the person out of the fight, but the fight won't ever leave the person._

"F-Fat chance, loser...I'm not done yet."

A gust of gasps breeze through the room as everyone in the audience watches Athena gingerly raise herself from the ground, her face displaying a new cut on her right cheek and a bruise running from her left temple to just below the corner of her eye...

(Slip)

"Guh...!"

(Ba-bump...)

She suddenly looses her footing, feeling a new wave of dizziness hit her. Barely catching herself by the knees, the girl with ember red irises breathes heavily as she fights against some black spots in her vision.

 _D-Damn it...Gotta, stay...conscious...!_

What she wasn't aware of is that due to their spiritual connection, Astral could feel her struggles by way of a duller pulsing in his own skull. Wincing, the celestial being holds one of his palms to the side of his head as he rose halfway back up from his own fall.

 _This, pain...It feels similar to when Kite invaded my memories during that phenomenon with the triad of suns, but not quite as piercing._

 _It feels...more dizzying, as if I am about to pass out..._

 _Wait a moment...!_

Darting his eyes upward, he quickly deduces the true source of the pounding.

"Athena...!"

 _This must be the pain that is absent whenever she is close to blacking out..._

 _But then, why am I feeling it? Is it because of our bond? Has it strengthened this much?_

 _(...Shakes head) No. Now is not the time to wonder, for if I can feel her absent pain..._

"Then she must be close to passing out from all the stress against her body...Mph, (lifts himself up) I must help her."

With a new resolve fueling his veins, Astral hurries to hover near the bent-over teenage girl and assist.

 _But how can I help her?...Hm...that time I accidentally accessed her memories..._

 _As invasive as it may have been, at the same time, it seemed to soothe her as she slept._

 _...Perhaps I can invoke that sense of calm for her again._

Deciding to give it a try, he reaches one of his blue-complexioned hands out to 'touch' the top of Athena's forehead...

(...Glow...)

A soft sky blue light mixed with rouge amber emits between the different skins, and Astral fights the urge to gasp to focus on sending the following message to his troubled companion.

 _Athena...I am here. Stay strong._

What he didn't know was that everyone else could see the glow dancing along the top of Athena's head as well! Trilos cusses out,

"Wh-What the fuck is tha'?!"

Akira and Tiffany emit startled noises, but quickly realize,

"Wait...is that-"

"It has to be!...Astral..."

Kite and Hart were also wise to the presence of the being from beyond the stars, the younger brother being the only other person in the room who could actually see Astral.

"What the...?"

"...Astral..."

 _Is he helping her, like he was trying to help me atop the tower?_

Soon enough, the throbbing and dark spots in her eyes left Athena, and she straightens herself back up while breathing easier.

"Hah, hah...Thought I was gonna go under for a second there...How...?"

"I see you are feeling better now."

Making a confused sound, she turns to see Astral staring at her with relief in his eyes.

"...Did you, make it stop...?"

"I did, by way of the same gesture I did when I, involuntarily, accessed your memories that one evening...It seems I have the capability of soothing your spirit whenever you are particularly stressed."

"...Huh...Well how 'bout that."

Quirking up a weak smile, Athena mutters,

"In that case, thanks for making sure that I stay awake."

Nodding with a minuscule upturn of mouth of his own, Astral replies,

"Of course," before both focus back in front of them with near-matching neutral expressions.

"Now then, let us finish this farce of a duel once and for all."

"Right...As I was saying, this battle's far from done! I'll show you what a comeback looks like!"

Athena takes hold of her next card, swiping it up sharply from her deck.

"My draw!"

Swerving it around to see the design...a grin plasters itself onto the duelist's face as she chuckles,

"Oh this is just _too perfect_. Talk about a bad case of irony!"

She dips her chin up to send that expression towards her enemy.

"Of course when I say bad, I mean bad for you! All that boasting you just made about not being able to take down all three your monsters in one turn? I'm about to shoot i' down like a lame duck, all thanks to this card."

Tucking her new arsenal beside another card in her hand, she reaches to the one in the middle.

"But first, I gotta do some prepwork...By banishing Fire Princess from my Graveyard, I can special-summon Inferno to the field!"

A bonfire erupts on her side of the field near Flelf's right, before the flames collude and manifest into a giant head of orange-yellow fire, blue flames for the eyes, and an opening for the mouth displaying several dozen skulls entrapped within this living heat source. Yet despite such an imposing figure for a Level Four, this monster only had 1100 Attack Points...

"Next, I activate Flelf's ability, Elven Sword!"

Said monster raises his sword into the air, catching the light of Inferno to bounce off the steel which streams to hit one of Athena's other cards in her hand, flipping around to reveal another one of her monsters.

"I'm now increasing Flelf's Level by adding Damage Mage's, changing him from a Level Two to a Level Five!"

"Tch, and so what? Neither he or your moving fire hazard have the same level. How's that gonna help ya?"

Athena takes hold of her new card again, a smirk curving onto her lips.

"This is how. I now activate the Spell, Pillager!"

A shady bandit wearing a mauve bandana, a green-striped shirt and brown pants appears on the field, carrying a large sack over their shoulder with a sneaky grin on their face. Just seeing the figure alone would get something related to fear stirring within the punk with acid green hair tipped black.

"Wait, what?! H-How do you have-?!"

"Huh, don't remember? I'm actually a bit shocked, (narrows eyes) since you were the one who gave it to me."

 _(Flash)_

"I certainly can't forget the day in question...It would've been just two months after I joined your little posse..."

 _Wrapping a bit of gauze around her upper left arm after another day of brutal fighting, a set of footsteps cut into Athena's moment of silence behind walls. Looking up, she sees the source to be noneother than Trilos, an impressed smirk on his face._

 _"And there she is, the reigning youngest chick warrior of the Fallen Stars!...You know, for someone as scrawny as you, you're pretty vicious in the ring."_

 _...The preteen just stares stonily at the older teen, making him shrug with an amused chuckle._

 _"Yet that don't reflect in your emotions, which makes you all the more interesting. No wonder so many are after your ass...Oh, right."_

 _Reaching into his back pocket, Trilos pulls out something to present to his most prized fighter._

 _"Here, kid."_

 _Putting down the medical tape in her right hand, Athena reaches to take the object for herself, staring down at it blankly._

 _"...What's this for?"_

 _"For cracking into the high ranks in just a short amount of time. Trust me, once you start to really participate in Duel Fist, you're gonna need it."_

 _Humphing, the young girl with dull red irises just keeps looking at the object, revealed to be noneother than the Pillager Spell Card!_

 _(Flash)_

"And if I remember right, this was another one of Bandit Keith's originals. I had some serious doubts that I'd ever use it, but nevertheless, I kept it out of impulse."

Athena's smirk turns a little grim and sardonic.

"Can't imagine how infuriating it must feel to have not only one of your best fighters, but even your own cards turn against you."

One of Trilos's burnt orange irises twitches with anger as he grinds his teeth.

"Grrrh! You, bitch...!"

Up atop the pillars on the battlefield's left, Trey emits an intrigued sound before quietly commenting,

"Interesting choice of spell...Pillager allows a player to look at their opponent's hand and steal one of their cards."

 _Not something I would completely expect from a girl like her...She's offered up one surprise after another in this duel._

 _(Narrows eyes) There's definitely more to this kid than she presents._

"Well? Are ya gonna show me your hand or keep us all waiting 'til September?"

Letting loose another heavy growl, Trilos reluctantly holds up his cards which display on a larger projection for everyone to see...Athena hums to herself,

"Well that monster of his won't do me good...But that Spell..."

Astral quickly deduces where his friend's thought pattern was heading towards.

"His spell would be a great asset to us."

"Then it's settled. (Points forward) I'll be taking that Ancient Rules card off your hands."

An energy wave wobbles over the spell's image, before it transforms into a ball of light to go flying into the thief's sack.

"Aurh! Damn it!"

Said figure laughs at the victim before hurrying back to their wielder to present the stolen spell to her. Smirking, Athena seizes the card with a,

"Thanks," as the thief vanishes...

"And now, I'll be usin' the spell I just pilfered from ya. I activate Ancient Rules!"

An old, yellowed codex page manifests and rolls open for all to see...

"This card allows a player to Special-Summon one Level Five or higher monster from their hand. Thankfully, I drew one on my last turn...Rise, Crow Goblin!"

Swooping onto the field near Inferno's right, came a humanoid crow with blue-black feathers, orange-red beak and talon hands, and wore a deep red shirt underneath a creamy tan robe, 1850 Attack Points displayed. Quinton hums thoughtfully from his own place in the shadow of the pillar in the balcony.

 _Two Level Five monsters...Is she about to do what I think she will?_

Drawing a deep breath, Athena raises her hand again in a commanding gesture, face set in one of her more serious glares yet.

"I now overlay Level Five Flelf, and Crow Goblin, to build the Overlay Network!"

Two green streams of light representing the monsters fly through the air to go diving into the portal and help complete the formation of the next beast to grace the AR reality...

"Kuh, so you're finally bringing out the big guns, huh? Lemme guess, one of those Number Cards?"

"...No...but you're gonna _wish_ it was a Number when I'm through with you."

"Huh?"

(...Crack-boom)

"Whoa!"

Suddenly, a large wispy storm cloud brews above everyone's heads, crackling thread-like lightning as the ground permeates a thinner morbid fog...

"None of the Numbers I've collected so far can compare to the fury of this XYZ, a monster strengthened by the rage of their wielder...And the rage that's been festering inside my being these last two days has finally reached boiling point."

Clenching her free fist hard until her bones crack, Athena cries out,

"Now you will feel the full length of my anger, channeled into the veins of my monster! ARISE, ADREUS, KEEPER OF ARMAGEDDON!"

(...Crack-BOOM)

A larger bolt of dark purple lightning crashes onto the field on Inferno's far left, creating an explosion of rock, smoke, and feathers...As the smog dissipates, a loud hybrid screech between human and avian rings through the air before the source is revealed. Rank Five with 2600 Attack points, this XYZ held the appearance of a male humanoid wearing black and dark silver armour, a matching mask covering two-thirds of his face, leaving his mouth free and showing signs of a pale complexion. Giant wings protrude from his back, made from thick feathers of inky black-gray and matching in scheme to that of the tattered battle skirt reaching past his shoes, his hair sweepingly long and shaggy with bangs half-covering his red glowing eyes, darker than that of the salmon-red metal dagger in his right hand.

Half-gapes carve onto the mouths of Trey and Quattro, while their eldest brother's eyebrow quirks up with intrigue.

 _Interesting..._

Orbital Seven would not bother to contain his awe at the power of this latest summon.

"W-Well I'll be rebooted! For a non-non-Number, that monster suuure looks strong!"

Realizing what he's saying, he quickly adds with a head swerve to his human master,

"U-Uhm, but barely comes second to your Galaxy-Eyes, Ma-Master Kite! Eheheheh..."

The blond just ignores the robot, his focus locked on Adreus with a calculated expression.

 _Hmm..._

Tiffany found herself shivering from the aura protruding from the winged beast.

"O-Oh wow. I don't remember Addy having anything that...fierce-looking in her deck..."

"I do."

She looks over at Akira in confusion, and he explains,

"I was with her the day she got the card, from an old card shop in the quieter district of Heartland near the central city...a couple days after we first left the Fallen Stars for good..."

"Aah..."

Staring up at the Rank Five XYZ, Astral too was impressed by the sheer strength and presence of the monster.

 _Such an imposing aura...Their power is dark, but, not exactly in a bad way. Rather, it is power that commands respect..._

Glancing around at the mixed expressions of her audience, Athena looks back up at Adreus with a proud smirk on her face.

"Quite a scary choice, I know...but Adreus and I are alot similar to one another than we may look. Both rugged souls trying to navigate in a messed-up world...You know, I've heard it once said that compatibility in this game is half 'n half: sometimes the duelist will choose the cards...and other times, the cards will choose the duelist."

 _(Flash)_

"I still recall the day I first laid eyes on Adreus, just a handful of days after I quit hanging around that death trap of a gang...Akira and I were still in a bit of a daze, and would call eachother up to help the other get back to center, even if it meant just wandering down some streets nicer than the ones we used to frequent to..."

 _Going back about a year and a half before the mission for the Number Cards first began, we watch as Athena - dressed in a red and black-striped zipper hoodie borrowed from her brother Terry, a light blue tank top, slate grey skinny jeans and black skater shoes with dark blue laces - and Akira - he dressed in a black long-sleeve shirt under a moss green vest, tan brown cargo shorts, and grey canvas shoes - walk down a street near the busier downtown area with some small business shops, including a grocer, a laundromat, and a semi-popular Duel Monsters trading card shop said to house high-end monsters..._

 _"Sooo, whaddo you say to hittin' that sushi joint up the block here for lunch?...Hm?"_

 _Akira notices that his younger friend wasn't beside him anymore, and turns around to see her staring into the card shop they were passing._

 _"...Addy?"_

 _She wasn't listening, her eyes fixated on seemingly nothing within the display window..._

"It was strange to say the least, that, pull I felt, an urge to go inside that never existed until that afternoon...I felt, a call."

 _The tiny bell above the door jingles softly as the young preteen slowly enters the Duel Monsters shop, following an invisible path between a few shelves with her friend wandering curiously behind her...Eventually, she stops in front of one display case that housed a couple more powerful XYZ Cards...where Adreus, Keeper of Armageddon rested..._

"Once I found the source of that pull, I knew...I knew in an instant that card had to become one of my own. Guess the old shopkeep' saw it too, which was no surprise since he's one of those 'cards have hearts' believers...And since he was having a hard time selling Adreus to the right duelist, he gave me a bit of a discount, but I digress..."

 _(Flash)_

"What brought us together in the end is this commonality in how we view the world."

Gazing around the more worn parts of the abandoned gallery, Athena goes on.

"We both know that as pretty as the world may be, the sad reality is that beauty's covering a whole lot of ugly...We know that the world's just a hair trigger away from going to the shits, yet despite that...here we are, still standing ready to fight that calamity."

She locks eyes with her XYZ.

"We're prepared to rise out of the coming rubble, and thrash our way to even just a breath of peace. He's no stranger to chaos...and neither am I."

As both monster and duelist focus back on the battlefield, the latter finishes her latest speech.

"So you could say this night of terror's just another chapter in the history section labelled 'Storm Before The Calm'...and now it's time to end it."

Athena raises her arm towards Adreus.

"I activate Adreus's special ability! Once per turn, by using one Overlay Unit, I can target one face-up card you control, and destroy it!"

Trilos recoils back in shock:

"You can WHAT?!"

"My target of choice, is your Assault Wheel!"

The girl's monster raises his dagger upward, a lightning bolt catching the light and making it gleam more dangerously than earlier...He then leaps high into the air upon his black feathered wings, before diving straight back down in the direction of the target of interest...

(SLASH-SLASH)

Two swift cuts would spell doom for Assault Wheel, who falls apart from the X-shaped marks and de-pixelates!

"Gaaauh!"

Though his Life Points were somehow unaffected, Trilos nonetheless felt a backlash, crying out in anger at having his monster bested so easily. Unfortunately for him, this was only the beginning.

"Next, I'm sending Adreus to attack Pendulum Machine before you get any bright ideas."

A smoky aura emits around the monster as he poises his weapon in front of himself...But rather than charge forward as he did already, the storm clouds up above open a little to produce a blurry image of a decimated city, before releasing a torrent of concrete to go raining down on the unsuspecting victim!

"Go, Battlefield Barrage!"

The bladed monster couldn't count on the strength of its defense, and gets buried under a large pile of rubble before fading away completely. Shivering slightly again, the girl standing on the sidelines nervously thinks to herself,

 _Man, Addy's not giving an inch..._

"Now, all that's left is your Deranged Roulette. Inferno, you're on deck!"

As Adreus lands to rest, Athena's other monster roars their flames to attention...

"Burn the monster as psycho as his user to ash!"

Inferno does not hesitate their duelist's command, spewing out the fired skulls from its mouth to head straight for the trigger-happy XYZ, the impact of the broiling bones creating an agonizing end for the latter before they too are destroyed...

"And if I remember right, if Deranged Roulette is destroyed in battle, their wielder pays a price of 500 Life Points."

All Trilos could do in response is growl as his total rolls down to 1267, and Astral thinks to himself,

 _He will be paying much more than that, for when Inferno successfully destroys an opponent's monster in battle, they are then hit with an additional 1500 Points of Damage..._

 _This battle is won...and yet..._

The celestial being glances down at his human friend with calculated concern in his mismatched white-silver and gold.

 _Is there truly a victory in this 'duel', I wonder?_

The ashes that once made up Trilos's XYZ suddenly move to form a circle around the duelist, making him arch up in agitation.

"G-hh! No...No, this can't be righ'...This can't be happening! _I_ was suppose to _win_ this time!"

Athena just gave him a dead sort-of glare and retorts,

"Who said that Life was suppose to go our way?...Inferno, end this with Hell's Vendetta!"

Said monster lunges forward and speeds around the opposing duelist, using their flamed body to ignite the ashes and create a ring of fire to further entrap the latter...Yet the real impacting blow would come from a much larger fire skull released from the bowels of Inferno to smack against Trilos's chest hard.

"Aaaaaggghhhhhhhhh!"

The last of his Life Points diminish to nothing as his body rockets backwards to the floor, finally bringing the curtain down on this break-neck battle...

...

...

But looking at the worn, battered form that was the supposed winner, we ask ourselves a similar question to Astral's.

Is there any sort of victory to be pulled out of the aftermath?


	44. Shifting Ties and Ending the Lies

Yello! Back from the dead at last!

Near back-to-back work and a new university year's been keeping me busy and exhausted, plus my imagination's been finding new inspiration for probable new stories (may or may not post a few new plots on my profile; we'll see where it goes).

But, I'm finally starting to get back on track with my current fics. The updates will more than likely be slow-going due to real world assignments and projects coming up, but I'm getting there, I promise.

Thank you for exercising patience, and please enjoy the aftermath of the great Duel Fist battle.

* * *

 _...It's over...The battle. It's finally over..._

 _But the war...How long will this war persist...?_

These are the words pondered by our leading duelist Athena Fujina as she fights to draw some well-deserved oxygen into her beaten body. Her violent Duel Monster match between she and her enemy Janko Trilos had finally reached its end despite the grueling tests of her own grit and mentality...

Smoke from the ashes of Deranged Roulette continue to billow soft streams into the air as the gang leader fought to contain his pained grunts, his upper body smudged with black and marred with a few burn marks thanks Inferno's final blow.

"D-Dnh...H-hh!..."

 _No...No, this...this has to be a trick, an illusion..._

 _How could I have lost to that punk...?...How?!_

As for the rest of the souls in the old art gallery, not a one of them dared to cut through the silence of the AR, some too stunned by the display to utter a word while others hid their comments for the sake of respecting the calm after the storm. Tiffany herself is frozen between breaking down into tears or fainting on the spot after being forced to watch her childhood friend go through so much angst in just a few short days.

 _...I think I'_ _m starting to understand why Addy never talked about where she went to back in late middle school._

 _...This duel...The pain...so heavy with pain and violence..._

 _And yet, she's able to press through it like, a soldier, so unlike the girl I knew years ago._

...Suddenly, all that fear drops with a single dip of the bespectacled girl's chin, her bobbed black tresses covering her eyes and leaving just enough room for her lips to be seen as they curve into a near-stoic frown.

 _...Have you really changed that much, Athena?_

Unbeknownst to her, Akira was watching her movements with a calculated expression before turning to face ahead with a puff of pity.

 _Damn, Tiff...So you've been trying to hold onto an illusion tighter than Terry could ever do..._

 _And here I thought a policeman's daughter would be more observant than that._

"No...No, I won't accept this!"

"Hm?"

His aqua irises dart rightward to the sound of Trilos's gritted mutter, and several pairs of eyes watch the young man with acid green hair struggle to stand upright, the rage previously stamped down by his enemy's resolve sparking embers for one more round.

"I, won't, be bested...by some bitch, who thinks she can act all self-righteous, and get away with it...!"

(Shing)

A flash of silver cuts through the air, courtesy of a long knife slipped out of a hidden pocket of his black jeans, his brunt orange irises practically glowing with murder. Gasps emit from about half of the audience members while a few chose to remain silent and emotionless, Athena included...

"I won't let you get away! Now die!"

With an almighty battle cry, the gang leader charges forward with the intent of stabbing a hole into the younger teenager's flesh!

...However...

(SWIPE)

"Gh-huh!"

He's forced to screech to a halt by his heels or else risk getting cut by the dagger of a certain XYZ monster whose very name stresses caution... _Adreus, Keeper of Armageddon._

...

The temperature of the room drops a few degrees as dark blood red irises glare down at the threat to his master's life, she herself maintaining a calm if stern front.

"Tch, you really don't know how to let go...do you?"

The shuffled steps of the girl's runners echo ominously through the air as she starts wandering forward, her own amber red irises locked onto her defeated opponent.

"I'll admit, I've been makin' some rather half-baked claims about letting it go and moving on, but at least I'm working on being more honest about my troubles...You just keep letting it boil over and allow it hurt everyone within range. You simply don't care...Any other situation would've allowed me to ignore your issues... _But_."

(Kick, whap, crrrack)

"Yah-aaah!"

Athena sends the sole of her shoe forward to knock the bladed weapon out of Trilos's hand, before reaching down to whirl him around by his right arm and pinning him on his knees, locking the limb in place between his shoulder blades and causing bones to rub aggressively against eachother! The gang leader does his damnedest to bite down a few yelps, failing to stifle a rasped hiss as he's pulled up to his feet by the younger soul.

"Like I mentioned before, I won't tolerate any innocents being thrown into the crossfire. So, here's what you're gonna do: swear on your life that you and the rest of the Fallen Stars will not lay so much as a skin cell on Hart again, or his brother for that matter."

The Tenjo brothers let out matching breaths of surprise for the girl's defense on their livelihoods, while Astral shivers slightly at the deadly undertone in his human partner's voice...But after all the time he's spent with the girl, a part of the celestial being expected this to happen.

 _Athena..._

There's no response at first, until the blackette in the tattered white tube top and ripped black pleated skirt tightens her grip to the point where she could break her enemy's arm.

"Well?!"

"Alright!...A-Alright!...Dh-rh...I swear. The kid and fly-boy are off-limits."

The gang leader's subordinates widen their eyes in shock that he would give into the girl's demand.

"He really just..." "Boss..."

The female with the mysterious pendant nods firmly, confident of her enemy's word, and shoves the male away just as the AR field finally fades away.

"Now get your sorry hide out of my sight while you can still walk on two legs."

"Trh!...Mph."

Trilos rips his dueling gazer off and shoves it into the other pocket of his pants opposite his knife, then turns to stomp away for the doors while stiffly gesturing his cohorts Viper and Spears to scramble up to their own feet, rushing past the Tenjo brothers to catch up with their boss...

"Don't think this over."

The teen with acid green hair tipped black whirls around to point straight at Athena with a threatening glare.

"You may have won this round, but this is only the beginning of the beatdown I'm gonna dish out in the Carnival."

Reaching down to one of the chains hanging off his belt loops, Trilos unfastens a certain accessory to brandish out...revealing it as a completed Heart Piece! A sharp gasp escapes the lips of Tiffany and Akira, and Astral comments in narrowed surprise,

"He has already obtained all five Heart Pieces required for the finals...!"

 _...And something tells me has had them for quite a while._

Up atop those twin marble statues, Trey and Quattro glance at one another with semi-matching expressions of mixed shock and awe, before silently agreeing to making themselves scarce, realizing that any attempts to complete their mission for Vetrix would be fruitless so long as Athena stood in the way...As they activate their crests to assist their subtle escape, each brother thinks respectively,

 _...We'll leave this to Quinton._

 _Forget Kite and Hart; there's no way we're gettin' the kid past her._

A celestial portal opens up behind their bodies, the energy causing them to seemingly break down into bursts of light that stream inside like shooting stars...

"I may not have gotten my victory in the match...I still got t' see what I wanted to see."

A sardonic grin curves its way onto the bruised form of Trilos as he sneers out,

"You've managed to discipline that wild side of yours more than ya did back when, turning it into the perfect weapon against your enemies...A part of me almost respects you for it, actually..."

Athena shifts back with a defensive growl, making the boy with dusty orange irises emit a closed-mouth chuckle before turning around to continue his way out of the area.

"I'll be seein' you during our next round in the ring, kid, and I'd set your affairs in order before the finals, if ya know what I mean! Hehahaha..."

With that warning in the wind, Janko disappears into the dark of the night...A beat of silence passes through the air, cut by the sound of the girl with amber red irises clicking a curse under her breath.

"Sadistic bastard..."

"U-Um...should I, you know...call up Dad and, let him know about...?"

Glancing over Tiffany's way, Athena then releases a tired breath before muttering bitterly,

"No...By the time your old man and his cop buddies show up, Trilos will be off the streets and playin' incognito...That's one of the traits that I hate above everything else: he always finds a way to dodge the legal system."

Akira hums in agreement, his aqua irises catching sight of the blank spaces where Trey and Quattro used to be.

"Speakin' of dodging, looks like the dynamic duo cleared out too."

Everyone else looks up that way to confirm for their own thoughts, and the teen comments with a wry smirk,

"Keh, maybe they got scared by the idea of being taken down by a little girl next."

The somewhat lame attempt at humour is enough to stimulate a dry chuckle in the winning duelist, immediately shifting into a tired moan when the girl feels a wave of that numb ache hit her full force, causing her to falter her stance!

"Rgh!"

"Addy!" "You okay, kid?!"

Struggling to keep herself from falling on her front, Athena huffs out,

"I'm...hah, I'm fine. Just the second wind...I...I refuse to pass out, after all of this."

Astral felt his heart go out to the girl as she stubbornly fights her current physical weakness, floating closer to her side.

"Be careful you do not push yourself, Athena."

"I-I know..."

He wasn't the only male watching her with a careful eye: Hart too had his focus locked on the older soul with a near-analyzing expression similar to his brother's calculative looks.

 _...I swear...I know her from somewhere...but how-_

(Ba-bump)

"Uh!"

Suddenly...the memory comes rushing back to him.

Flashback

 _Based on what his fragile mental state would allow him to recall, the boy is able to attain a semi-clear image of himself a few years prior to now, back when he looked less gaunt and retained some form of life in his eyes..._

 _The scene depicts himself, Doctor Faker and about three other faceless individuals dressed in white scientist coats walking down a hallway of steel and glass. There's a chatter in the air between his father and the other three figures, but it's murmured and unintelligible as his attention continues to wander throughout the pathway. Dark shadows are visible within the cloudy glass squares he passes, making him shiver in his steps while also curious of their contents..._

 _Hart pauses his steps with the rest of the small group, waiting to continue to wherever Doctor Faker and these suspicious acquaintances were taking him...when a light tapping sounds catches his ears._

 _"Mm?"_

 _He turns his gold brass irises towards a seemingly empty room with the same glass viewing point as several others, and steps over so he's just a half foot way..._

 _(SLAM)_

 _"Guh!"_

 _Hart then stumbles backwards as a skinny figure suddenly lunges to plaster its hands against the clear surface in a near-threatening manner!_

 _..._

 _But zooming closer, we see not a monster, but a haggard, torn-clothed Athena giving the younger child a half-crazed expression of both fear...and warning._

 _"R-R-R...R-un...Run, a-away. G-Get, away, f-f-f-from here...while you still can...!"_

End of Flashback

 _...I remember now...She was the girl, from that weird dream._

"Hart?...Are you alright, little brother?"

"...It was never a dream. It was real."

"Huh?"

To say Kite was befuddled would be an understatement, more so when he feels his younger sibling gently shift away from his hold to begin wandering over to the teenager who now holds a more significant place in his damaged memories...

"Athena."

"Hah...huh?"

She looks up to see Hart standing about a foot in front of her bent form, staring at her with an expression of revelation.

"...What's up?"

"...I remember who you are."

Athena furrows her eyebrows in confusion...until it hits her like a ton of bricks.

"Uh-hh!"

 _He...he remembers-?!_

Sucking in a shaky breath, she asks,

"A-And...who, am I to you...?"

"...You're the girl from that laboratory my, father, took me to a few years ago...The one with the pained eyes."

Another stuttered inhale sharply wracks the girl's lungs around the same time a more controlled gasp escapes Kite's lips.

 _So then...they really do share a connection..._

 _But how much do they know about the other?_

(Lunge)

"Uh!"

Suddenly, before Athena could prepare herself, she's tackled by the young boy with periwinkle blue hair and falls on her behind, the latter engulfing his thin arms around the injured torso of the former!...At first, the girl could only sit frozen, startled by the gesture from the smaller child...but slowly comes back to reality as her ears register the hushed, jittery sniffles from Hart as he buries his face into her chest.

"I-I...I'm sorry, I didn't remember you until now...But even before, when you were j-just a weird illusion...I still wished...t-to help you. I...I wanted to take away that pain."

Fisting the material of the white tube top in a desperate manner, Hart confesses,

"It was, actually thanks to those night terrors of, that place, I became all the more determined...to prevent Kite from falling that deep. I...I couldn't save you...but I wanted to at least try and save him."

"...Oh, Hart..."

A bitterly sad smile curves onto the exhausted duelist's lips, and she gently curls her arms around the emotional boy while chiding bluntly,

"I appreciate the thought, and I'm glad I somehow brought a little of you back...but, there was nothing you could've done back then. Even if you got me out of that cell...I was, too far gone for help. I...I had to find my own way out of the darkness, whatever that way was...And as for Kite, the best way you can help him is by holding onto what makes you who you are. You're too young to exhaust yourself too close to Death's door...plus, how can he protect you like an older sibling should if there's nothing for him to protect?"

"Uh!...Mm..."

Athena draws herself back so she could look the other in the eyes.

"It's cool that you wanna be brave in front of everyone, Hart, but take it from me: there's a fine line between acting brave and acting reckless. Do me a solid and don't confuse the two. (Wry smirk) Make sure there's at least one level-headed brother between you and Kite."

"I heard that."

They look over and see the said blond approach with Orbital Seven rolling behind him, a somewhat annoyed expression etched onto his face for the discreetly cheeky comment. The pair giggle slightly before making their own motions to stand on their feet again, the blackette watching that she didn't rise too fast and invoke dizziness to come out and play...

"I'll admit this much: you're not that half-bad a duelist, at least in thug settings like this."

Turning to meet grey irises with her amber red, Athena humphs with a half-smile,

"Comin' from you, I'll take that as a compliment."

"Right..."

"I must admit, I was rather impressed as well."

"Rh!" "Hh!"

The room's atmosphere tenses come the introduction of a new voice, and eyes dart upward to the back balcony to lock onto the form of none other than Quinton!

"You kept your cool despite the underlying dangers of this particular style, and displayed the skills required to compete among more qualified duelists."

Shifting Hart's position so he's nestled between herself and Kite, Athena informs the other Tenjo,

"That's him! That's the man who tried to take Hart in the turbine district, using some strange hypno trick on the kid before I clocked him and got the others to escape with your brother."

Stiffening considerably, the Number Hunter quickly places a protective hand on his sibling's shoulder while glaring up at Quinton.

"...Who are you, and why were you after my brother?"

"...That's a simple question with a very complex answer."

"Doesn't have to be that way."

The eldest of the brother trio fixes his eyes on Athena, she in turn staring at him with a firm expression.

"All you gotta do is quit skirtin' around the details and give it to us stra-...Hang on..."

She then narrows her eyes in thought and peers at Quinton up and down in a searching manner...before gasping out in light surprise,

"Uh!...Christopher...?"

The latter's dark blue irises widen a bit with shock at the sudden address...before averting his gaze and telling the girl outright,

"...That's not the name I go by anymore. It's Quinton."

Everyone else was more confused if anything, and Astral would be the one to ask,

"Athena...you recognize this individual?"

"I wasn't able to before...but, now it's coming back to me."

 _(Flash)_

"His name is-or, I guess he was once known as Christopher...Ark, something. His last name escapes me. Anyway, he was one of my brother Adam's college buddies..."

 _We turn back the clock to a random everyday of several years back before the main events, back when Athena's personality was considerably lighter-hearted and innocent..._

 _Zooming inside the kitchen, we find her older brother with the black tamed mullet of hair, and Quinton - back when his long, silver-blue hair was a little shorter and constantly tied into a loose side braid - sitting at a small table in the corner near the entranceway to the living room, skimming through several notes and a few textbooks with somewhat tired smiles on their faces._

"They used to have these study sessions at our house, and, I remember that I sometimes peeked in to watch them..."

 _(Flash)_

"...But once graduation came and went, I never really saw Christopher again, nor did Adam receive any sort of contact. He just, vanished...until now."

Athena tilts her head back up to face Quinton - formerly known as Christopher - again and inquire an answer for herself.

"...What happened, Chris? Why'd you stop talking to my brother, and what's the deal with this sudden shift from mentor to kidnapper?...We may not 'ave interacted much, but I remember you as a kinder man than this, always ready to help Adam when Charlie couldn't provide the advice he needed...What changed?"

"...I could ask you a similar question myself."

"Huh?"

Quinton comments,

"You've changed quite a bit from the innocent little shadow I remember...but, you're still just as persistent as your parents were."

"Gh!...And how the hell do _they_ have any relevance to this?"

His answer would not be one the girl expected to ever hear.

"Your father and mother are alive, Athena...They're in Astral World."

Athena's POV

...

Of all the things this stranger from yester-years could have told me...this information, was nothing I could be prepared for. It feels like every vein in my body suddenly froze over to the tune of my heart skipping a beat.

 _...My...My parents...alive...?...In Astral World...?_

I can feel multiple sets of eyes on my form as I fought to contain a multitude of emotions threatening to crack through my skin...before settling on one reaction that most wouldn't...Denial.

 _...No._

"Athena...?"

Relaxing out of my stony stance by way of my choice of emotion and the sound of Tiffany's voice trying to coax me to speak, I form a glare of near-indignation to send up at the man who dared to make such a claim.

"...No...You lie. You must be lying."

Chris-no...Quinton seemed a bit surprised by my lack of faith in his word, despite the vagueness of any expression change, while my friends had no trouble in expressing their shock in my rather negative reply.

"Addy..." "Athena..."

Ignoring them, I say to the man above us,

"Look, I dunno what the frack's been goin' on since you went and played the Houdini card, and quite frankly, I don't think I wanna try coming up with an idea as to how Hart fits into the equation...What I do know, is this: I'm not about to fruitlessly get my hopes up for something that at this point, will probably never come to pass."

 _They've been gone for so long now...they may as well be a fading memory..._

"Is that truly what you believe? You no longer have any faith in the return of your parents?"

"...Let's just say my faith's run rather sparse these days...but I don't need to stand here the rest of the night explaining myself to you."

Turning away from Quinton's eyes, I then bend down to gently hoist Hart up onto my back piggyback-style, much to his surprise.

"Uh!...Athena...?"

"C'mon, kiddo, let's you, me and the rest of us blow this joint. Party's over."

With that, I start my slow and miraculously steady walk out of this ghostly art gallery, the rest of my posse trailing behind me in an almost awkward manner...

"You are aware of the multiple targets on Hart's back as well as Kite, are you not? How long do you expect to keep them safe from harm as well as yourself?"

I reply simply with no room for argument,

"For however long it takes...Oh, and Chris? Tell your bros I said hi, and whoever sent you three to go suck a lemon."

...

...

A little while passes before the lot of us near the border between greenery and concrete, just exiting a somewhat woodsy path to the first park-like area near one of the main roads. Not a one of our mouths has dared to open on account of aftermath processing...but I think I've had enough time to think over my next next set of moves. First thing on the agenda: prevent the Number Hunter and his brother from walking back into their cages.

"...You're not goin' back to Heartland, by the way."

Kite knew I was talking to him more so than Hart.

"What's that mean?"

"Your hearing skills shot? I said you're not going back to Heartland, you or your brother...You two are comin' back to my place, oh, and I guess the bot is too."

A few breaths of surprise sound from my three friends as well as Orbital Seven.

"Wh-Wha-Whaaaat?! Yo-You can't be serious!"

"Can and am, mini mech...All this parading around with the bad guys stops now. I've made my first move against my demons, so now it's your turn, Kite."

"Grh!...Even you should know that's impossible. My hands are tied."

We stop our walk so I can turn around and face him, watching I don't whirl too fast and accidentally chuck Hart off my back.

"Wrong. You just think they are, but look down and you'll see no signs of twine."

"Dammit, Athena-"

"No! Stop the arguing for a second and just listen to me, would ya?!...Kite, I know deep down, you know all this Number Hunting's been helping the wrong people, and in the end it's gonna do jack for Hart's health. It's all been an exercise of exploitation...But still, it's not too late."

I hold my right hand out in a gesture of building ties, firm expression set.

"This is the opportunity to finally walk away and start fighting for yourself and Hart. Don't play the stooge; play them back...You've got a fair arsenal of Number Cards now thanks to your activities, unconventional they were, an army that Heartland has no chance of beating, and you're just gonna trade it for a pair of shackles? That's ludicrous! Not to mention you're only prolonging Hart's danger to his well-being by continuing to work with the enemy!"

"And what gives you the right to tell me that, huh?!...You don't know how much I've had to sacrifice to keep my brother safe, how many gambles I could've taken but passed because I didn't want to risk the odds. What makes you so sure Heartland won't try a counter this round?"

"Because to do so would be unwise for his image regarding the Carnival."

That seemed to shut Kite up for a minute, and I argue,

"Thanks to Trilos and his Fallen Stars, as well as other instances of unsportsmanlike conduct, Heartland and his cohorts already got their hands full trying to keep the peace while he himself fights to keep his cool. If he were to step in and play the dark game by his own hands at this point, Heartland's risking a disturbance with the public...He's a showman that likes to maintain shadow distance."

"She's not wrong."

Our eyes focus over on Akira as he adds in his own two cents.

"From what I've been learning, Heartland's a master manipulator who's careful not to let his true facade be seen in the sun...Almost reminds me of Trilos, actually, only more dramatic and less crude."

"Couldn't have said it better myself...Hm?"

That's when my eyes fall on Tiffany, noticing a new slump of sadness in her being that seemed...outside current conversation.

 _Tiff?...What's up with her...?_

"Okay...let's assume you are right and somehow, this is the opportunity to break away...Is your family really just going to let my brother and I, stay with you?"

It almost made me laugh to hear that touch of uncertainty in Kite's tone, but I fight it down with a half-smirk.

"You'd be surprised how open my gramps and bros are to housing strangers...Look, I get it, I really do: Hart's your whole world and you just wanna keep him safe. I basically do the same with my own loved ones, keeping as much to myself as possible to prevent others from getting hurt...But, I've come to learn that housing secrets, or simply being as stubborn as a bull doesn't always guarantee. In fact, it can be more harmful than opening up the dialogue."

My expression falls into a soft frown as I downright plead,

"Please Kite, for your sake as well as Hart's...don't send yourself back to the wolves...Come with me, and we can figure out a more feasible plan, something that benefits all of us."

...

...

Time seemed to slow down for the next two minutes, and Kite stares at my hand like it's a sharp pointy object, still unsure if he should finally stop dealing with the devil...

"Let's go with her, big brother."

"Huh?"

Eyes land on Hart as he speaks up from over my left shoulder, his voice gradually getting stronger with each sentence.

"I'm...I'm tired of being used, and watching you get used by people, who don't want to help us. We're only tools to Mister Heartland...and to Doctor Faker. Whatever promises of finding a cure to this power I possess...I stopped believing them a long time ago."

"Uh!...Hart..."

"I'm ready to stand up to them, fight for us...What about you?"

The older brother of the pair gazes at Hart with awe at his show of bravery...before relaxing into an expression...of reluctant compliance.

"...Alright, Hart. If you're sure...we, don't have to go back to the tower...We'll go with Athena."

 _Kite..._

I almost wanted to smile, but, somehow it didn't feel very appropriate for this time...

"Well, since that's settled, guess we better motor to your place and get whatever shut-eye's available, right?"

"Right, Akira...Let's go, everyone."

On that note, the march continues...

"You are aware of course, this doesn't change the current stand between us regarding the Numbers."

"Hm?"

Kite glances at me with stern eyes and says,

"Maybe they really can't help my brother, but that doesn't mean I'm just going to hand them over to you and the envoy that easily...Unconventional my methods may be, as you so put it, I still earned the cards."

"...Yeah, I know...which is why I'm offering this proposal: until the Carnival's over, we leave the Number Card issue alone and keep battling with what we got."

I hear Astral make a noise of protest, but I silence him with a subtle gesture before continuing.

"Furthermore, we keep eachother informed of any new Number activity, and don't offer our current tallies to anyone outside of our circles, especially Mister Heartland and Doctor Faker. Once this tournament's over with, that's when we can have a more civil conversation on the matter...Does this sound like a reasonable agreement?"

"Hmph...I accept your terms, so long as you don't slip up your end."

"Keh, I won't if you won't."

We break eye contact and face forward, leaving me to sigh through my nose while commenting to myself,

 _Haah, something tells me forming a better bond with him's not gonna be easy..._

No POV

While everyone of the rather mixed-opinioned group of youths makes their way back to the Fujina Residence, we head to the inner city of Heartland and deep inside the central tower as the mayor speaks with Doctor Faker about recent events...

 _"They have not returned to the tower?...Can it be that they've finally decided to rebel? And after all this time..."_

"Rest assured, Doctor Faker, my people are doing everything they can to pinpoint their latest location...Though if I may be frank, I actually have doubts in their compliance."

The man with the strikingly-styled blond hair raises an eyebrow.

 _"Oh? And why is that?"_

"Apparently, according to a few individuals in tech support, there's been reports of an anonymous hacker attempting to break into our more private databases. Previously, they had little success...but recently, the hacker managed to acquire copies of some our more classified files...including the ones about Astral World, and our agents."

 _"Hh!...Is that so?"_

"Unfortunately, yes, sir."

 _"...Who's responsible for all of this, Mister Heartland? Tell me: who swayed my sons away, and what is the identity of this anonymous hacker?"_

"Those questions are still in the works for answers, I'm afraid...but I can offer information regarding a secondary factor that may have helped trigger Kite and Hart to make their escape..."

Mister Heartland pulls up a digital file acquired from his other two young agents.

"According to a report from Nistro and Dextra, there was a group of people bearing powerful crests that appeared a few times this evening to try and steal away Hart, one of which having stolen one of our private helicopters."

 _"...A crest..."_

If the man with the turquoise suit noticed the pause in his colleague, he didn't comment on it.

"Whoever they are, they will no doubt show themselves in the World Duel Carnival Finals...Even so, those people proved as incapable as Nistro and Dextra in simply touching Hart, all because of one young individual."

 _"Just one, you say?"_

"Yes, Doctor...and I have a feeling Nistro was referring to this young lady."

An image of Athena during the afternoon before the first day of the WDC is pulled up for viewing, showcasing a momentary pause in the skirmish she undertook against the city guards after practically tearing apart the rogue LitterBot that stole her deck. Her body is shaped in a slight bent forward with her fists balled and ready for action, expression set in frustrated fury...

Doctor Faker found himself struck silent as his eyes lock onto the teenager.

 _"Uh!"_

 _...Can it be...Orion's daughter..._

"Doctor Faker?"

He snaps out of his daze with a strange sort of closed-eyed frown, his mind caught between thoughts.

 _"Mph...If the group bearing the crests dare reveal their faces in the Carnival, be sure to show them what happens when they attempt to meddle in our affairs."_

"Of course."

 _"...As for the girl...keep a close eye on her activity as you search for my sons."_

 _So, Fujina...once again, you found a way back into my troubles even so indirectly._

"Yes, sir."

...

...

About thirty-five minutes pass, and we find Athena and her small group making their way up the side stairs to the front door of her home...Well, all expect one.

"I'm a little surprised Tiffany decided not to join us, but, then again, I guess she doesn't wanna give her parents more reasons to worry...Still, she kind-a looked a little, dejected and beside herself..."

The blackette doesn't comment on the manner like Akira, choosing to contemplate within in her own mind as a concerned frown forms.

 _...Tiffany..._

Tiffany's POV

Rather than join my friends - and strangers among friends - at Athena's house, I chose to break away from the group about halfway and head back to my home. Waiting for me were a pair of parents surprised that their own daughter was out for so long without a feasible explanation...I obviously couldn't tell them about what went down these last couple hours, so I reluctantly chose to lie by saying Athena and I were hanging with Jamal and Akira at the Axel Cafe and just lost track of time...Thankfully, they bought it.

I would've gone to sleep by now...but, recent revelations have been keeping my brain active. Currently, I'm sitting on my bed in my favourite green babydoll nightgown with matching light-material bathrobe, staring at a couple different objects representing...a time that made more sense.

The first one is a framed picture capturing a moment back in grade school, first grade to be precise, during one of mine and Athena's frequent playdates in the park. Our smiles...they held alot more in common then, which surprises me.

 _We were such polar opposites, her a wild loud thing while I was more gentle and reserved..._

 _But, somehow, we made it work...Why does it feel so hard now...?_

The next one is a card I bought a couple years ago that bares the same name as my BFF, which is subsequently one of the strongest monsters I have in my deck currently...Such a revered appearance...like how I look up to Athena now and again.

 _Both Athenas have an indescribable strength...and yet, I feel like this one, is becoming the only good one I know._

My last object doesn't bear much of a positive memory...a fragment of the darker friend I knew distantly more than a year and a half ago. It's a piece of leather from what I'm sure was either a pair of pants or a vest she used to wear constantly to mirror the gangster girl Athena had become. See, as a way of symbolically saying farewell to her old personality, we burned the remains of the last outfit she wore and shredded by her own hands - I don't wanna try and imagine how she did it, but it must've been an emotional experience - and sent it down river...

I dunno why I stole a piece out from the bag back then...but now...I think an answer's coming clear.

 _...Berserker...corrupted the Athena more than we knew..._

 _Athena's not the same, and never will be._

A tear escapes my right eye as I whisper sadly to myself,

"She's become someone...I'm not sure I can relate to anymore..."

No POV

"...So how exactly are you going to explain these current events to your grandfather and brothers?"

Snapping out of her worries for her female friend (which unknown to her were spot-on), Athena turns her attention to Astral and replies through their telepathic link,

 _No other way around it but to tell the truth...and possibly the whole truth. It'll really depend on how persistent they are in getting the full story, Terry especially._

"...I see."

The celestial being focuses his eyes away, causing the girl to raise an eyebrow in puzzlement.

 _Huh. Haven't seen him act closed off like this since the early weeks in our acquaintanceship..._

 _What's wrong with him now...?_

Reaching the front door, she shakes her head slightly and says to herself,

 _Whatever. I'll interrogate him about his attitude later..._

 _Need to focus on the big discussion comin'._

(Knock, knock...ka-chank)

"Huuah, yo, what's-Uh-hh!...Addy...?"

Standing in the doorway is the young man with the asymmetrical haircut and five o'clock shadow, who takes one look at his youngest sibling's battered and beaten form before staggering back with mild horror mixed into a scolding anger.

"Where the hell have you been, kid, and what happened to you?! You look like you just got out of a dogfight!"

"Wouldn't exactly call it a dogfight, but...Hah, Terry, listen, there's something you, me, Adam and grandpa need to discuss, pronto."

They stare at one another for a moment...before his face relaxes into a serious reflection.

"Alright, I'm listenin', or I will be once we get you inside. Boy, Adam's gonna have a field day with the first aid kit..."

Athena's POV

As soon as we're all ushered inside, Terry calls our brother and gramps to attention from the living room and kitchen. One look at me sent Adam into a tissy before practically ordering me to go wash up in the shower - simultaneously cleaning my wounds - and change into a set of loose clothes that won't get in the way of him playing nurse...Once those tasks are accomplished, I wander back down in my gray pajama shorts and tank top to sit on the couch between Akira and Terry, while Kite and Hart took one of the chairs near the front window and grandpa sat in the chair opposite.

...I didn't skip a beat as I explain pretty much everything that's happened since the entrance of Astral and his Number Cards, or at least the main events that include a couple examples of a Number Duel. I also talked about Astral some (being careful I didn't mention his memories out of respect), when I met Kite and our, 'interesting' encounters up to tonight, and all the information my friends in the Number Seekers Anonymous and The Supernova Network have been uncovering regarding Astral World, Heartland, this Doctor Faker person and anything else inbetween. I was a little scared about going deep with the truth-telling...but let's face it: how long was I really gonna keep bullshitting my own family after all we've been through?

...

The only thing I couldn't seem to talk about, was my own resurfacing memories related to my disappearance two years ago. I'm not sure why I can with my friends, Astral in particular and not my own related flesh and blood...but maybe I'll revisit the conversation again on a later date...

"And, that's pretty much it. My friends and I have been caught up in one important battle after another, all linking back in some shape or form to the Number Cards."

...At first, neither my brothers nor my grandfather could speak, having a tough time processing all of this new information...But then, Adam breathes out a deep sigh with an exhausted smile, finishing with the bandage around my right knee - surprisingly, I didn't require as much patchwork as I initially expected - before responding,

"Well, sounds like you've been keeping busy...Or rather, that's the most sane sentence I can say on the matter. I almost want to be mad for only just being told about all of this...but, considering the circumstances, I think I understand why you chose to delay. The less ears, less danger."

 _Adam..._

"I agree with your brother. While you could've taken a smarter route, I am glad you're choosing to open up now rather than later."

I look up at gramps and ask in a rarely quiet tone,

"So...I'm not, in trouble or anything...?"

"Athena, you've been in enough trouble as it is. I seriously doubt something like grounding you will slow it down...All I will say on the subject is to keep your wits about you, (slight smile) and do your damnedest for this Astral fella."

He then looks towards the area I pointed out beforehand where my alien friend's currently hovering, sending a stern gaze the other's way.

"And as for you, young man, whether we meet in person someday or not, I will make the following clear: if I find out my granddaughter's been harmed in any way on your watch, there will be dead reckoning in your future! Understand?"

I cringe at the subtle threat, and look over to see Astral widen his eyes almost fearfully before nodding vigorously, a reaction very rare for his usual stoic nature.

"Uh, he got the message loud and clear, gramps."

 _Hoh geez..._

"On a different but not unrelated topic...Kite."

He looks up to meet eyes with Terry as the latter double-checks,

"Because of what's been going on between you, Heartland and this Doctor Faker person, you and your younger brother currently have nowhere remotely safe to go, right?"

"That's right..."

"Hm...Well, (looks at Adam and gramps) whaddo you two think?"

My other two family members form warm smiles and reply,

"I say open the door."

"Yes. Kite, Hart, consider our home your home for as long as you need it."

To say that the Number Hunter was shocked could almost be considered an insult.  
He nearly slumped in his seat as his body went rigid with surprise, eyes wide...Hart, meanwhile, is ecstatic.

"Really?! We can stay here?"

"Of course. We wouldn't dare leave you and your brother stranded in your troubles. Athena certainly isn't."

They turn their eyes to me, and I smirk while quirking,

"Told you. Now you definitely can't say no."

"Ur-hh...Hah..."

Pulling himself together and relaxing somewhat, Kite breaks our stare and focuses on my family.

"...Thank you, for allowing my brother and I to stay here."

Grandpa replies,

"You're welcome, son...Now then, I think it'd be best if we all have one last snack before heading to bed. And I guess that's another thing we'll need to decide: who's sleeping where."

...

One more discussion over tea and mochi later, we come to the decision that Orbital Seven would bunk with LillyBot in the garage (after introducing them to eachother, of course), Akira will take the couch, and Kite and Hart would share my bed while I rolled out a sleeping bag up in the attic...

"Athena...I do not know if I can fully agree with the decisions you've made tonight."

I pause in fussing with my makeshift bed to meet Astral's eyes.

"You're talking about Kite, aren't you?...Don't tell me: you're still distrusting him that much even after all this."

"Yes. I suppose from your perspective, I should not be...but you seem to be forgetting that Kite has offered more trouble as the Number Hunter rather than help as an ally. As much as a part of me does sympathize with his situation, how is it you can be sure that he won't revert back to his old ways?"

He floats over to stare out the window before bringing up the issue that bugged him more.

"But...that isn't the action which truly concerns me."

"Hmph, then spit it out: what's the real problem?"

"My 'real problem' is the proposition you made with him regarding the Number Cards. You are allowing him to hang onto some of my memories, and blindly trusting that he will not antagonize us until after Carnival, to which you said would be a more, 'civilized conversation'."

He turns to send a glare my direction, again, another somewhat rare expression.

"Exactly when were you going to run this plan by me?"

"Uh! Grrh, I don't understand why you're getting so upset."

I stand up to properly meet his eyes with a glare of my own, feeling a little pissed he's being so critical.

"Can't you see that it's better to form an alliance rather than let things continue to run their course?! Kite makes a better ally than an enemy, and from what we've learned these last few days, we all share a connection or two we can't deny out of spite...Why are you being so difficult about it?"

"Because one of us needs to use caution, and you are clearly not using enough."

"Not usi-!...Agh! You know what? Fine, whatever; I'm not gonna waste my breath while you're too stubborn. I'm goin' to sleep."

With that, I plop down on the futon and crawl into my sleeping bag, ignoring Astral's soft repeated calls of my name...

...

...

Unfortunately, I barely get three hours in before my old frenemy Insomnia returns to hassle me.

"...Uuugh, dammit."

I blink awake with bleary eyes, running a hand over my face while grumbling,

"Stupid wired brain won't shut up..."

Glancing around the room, I see no signs of Astral anywhere.

 _Must've took off for the inside of the key...Man, that was a terrible talk._

 _Why did he, I...why did both of us have to get so defensive?_

Groaning quietly, I flap the blanket off me and get up to wander over to the attic opening.

 _Maybe some apple-cinnamon camomile will help calm my nerves..._

As soon as my feet touch my bedroom floor, I ready to head for the door...only to notice a singular brother in the bed rather than both.

 _Huh...Where'd Kite get to...?...Downstairs?_

Fueled with a new curiousity, I quietly steal my way out of the room for the hall (but not before tucking the blanket over Hart a bit more snugly), and head downstairs to see where the Number Hunter had gotten to...

 _Hm, he's not in the living room, otherwise Akira might be awake..._

 _That only leaves one place._

Padding my bare feet along, I enter the kitchen...and spot a familiar figure sitting out on the back porch...

 _Guess I'm not the only one having trouble sleeping...Hm._

A half-smile curves into my lips, and I move to find the tea kettle, pot and two mugs.

Several Minutes Earlier, Kite's POV

"M-mh...Nh...Hh-h-hh...!"

 _(Flash)_

 _...What is this place?...Where am I?_

 _"Kiiite Tenjooo..."_

 _"Jh! Who's there?...Who are you?!"_

 _"...Do not stray off the path that's opened to you, Kite Tenjo...You do not want to invoke my wrath...Betraying my master's trust will come with consequences. Do not forget."_

 _(...SHING)_

"(Jolt) Guh!"

I barely got so much as a few hours of sleep, when I'm forced awake by a short but disturbing nightmare. I'm surprised Hart didn't wake up from how fast I sat up in the bed...but, I'm glad he's at least getting some rest...Clutching my chest as I try to steady my racing heart, I think to myself in a rare moment of fear,

 _...What the hell was that?...I couldn't see a damn thing in that fog..._

 _And that voice...Why did it feel like I knew that voice...?_

What's even stranger is that even though I'm awake...I can still feel the nightmare's presence in the room, like, something is watching me.

 _And I know that it's not Astral...The expressions he displayed during our duel weren't this piercing..._

 _Ugh, I need to get out of the room for a bit._

Being careful not to wake Hart, I slip out from under the blankets and plant my feet on the floor, readjusting the black t-shirt over the matching pants I was given by one of Athena's brothers as a form of sleepwear...I almost hesitate in leaving my own sibling alone in the room, but I reassure myself,

 _He's safe here...more safe than he ever was in Heartland Tower._

...

I eventually found myself sitting outside on the back porch of Athena's home, attempting to still the thoughts running through my head over...well, pretty much everything that's happened since Doctor Faker...my father, began stretching his desperateness for a cure for Hart's waning health. I've yet to figure out just how he got my little brother that power...but it still makes me question his judgement and just how much he really cares about his own sons.

 _He may have had some sort of noble intent, that much I can admit...but how could he be so willing to gamble with Hart's life like that?_

 _What if the power had been more potent than now, and made Hart's health so bad that he-..._

 _...No. I can't think like that...But still, why did Faker have to go out of his way to make our lives worse before they got better?_

 _...We were fine back in the cabin. We didn't need anything more._

(...Slide)

"Yo."

"Hm?"

Breaking away from my mental rant, I look back over my shoulder to see my apparent new ally with two mugs in her hands.

"Athena..."

"Boy, you look as haggard as I probably do...I'm guessin' insomnia's a frenemy of yours too?"

As she moves to sit on my left with about a foot and a half of space between us, I answer with a huff,

"You have no idea...One of those mugs suppose to be for me?"

"If you want it...It's apple-cinnamon chamomile, a favourite of mine for sleepless nights."

...I take the mug a bit reluctantly, the sweet scent of the tea hitting strong but not unpleasantly.

"(...Sip) Hm. Not bad, I guess."

"Heh, thanks...So what's keeping you awake?"

"...You really expect me to tell you?"

"Not really...but what I've come to learn is that it's good to hash things out with someone every once in a while. Keeps you from going insane."

...There's a beat of silence between us for a few minutes...before I expel a sigh and say,

"I've just been thinking about how, screwed up everything's become for Hart and I in recent years...Ever since Doctor Faker obtained that power for Hart, it's been one confusing disaster after another."

"And where did the power come from?"

"I'm not sure exactly...except that it might be related to Barian World."

"Barian World?...You mean there's another world outside this one mixed into this crap?"

I almost laugh at the way she described it, answering,

"Yes, there is. Not much is known about that dimension in comparison to the information on Astral World, but Orbital's power source comes from what's known as a Baria Crystal."

"Huh...Wish I could say this is surprising info, but, everything's been one surprise after another this week...So, before you became a Number Hunter, what sort of person were you? I can't honestly believe you were this, ruthless and mission-oriented."

 _Why is she asking me these questions?...And why am I answering them so easily?_

Sighing, I ignore my confusion and keep this strange conversation going out of having nothing better to do.

"...You're right. I wasn't, always this cold...I used to smile alot more, and was more open to the world around me...But that was when the world wasn't so hostile, when, Hart and I actually had a chance of a normal life."

"...I get that."

Turning to stare at her form, Athena then says with a rather sad smile,

"That used to be my life as well: normal and boring. Or at least as boring as it can be with Duel Monsters...All it took was one day for everything to flip on its head inside out...I try to remember the more innocent version of me now and again...but the memory looks more like a fantasy these days, pretty and fleeting."

I'm somewhat taken aback by her characterization...before asking a question of my own.

"I'm assuming it's because of your kidnapping and the injection you received from those scientists?"

"Mhm...On a related note, do you know anything about when Hart was, apparently taken to that place while I was still in captivity?"

"Not that I recall...Doctor Faker might have taken Hart there without my knowledge."

"I see...Well, in any case, based on what I've been remembering so far, whatever those bastards did to me messed me up something horrible. I'm shocked that I can speak sanely these days, because I'm pretty sure I lost my marbles somewhere along the way..."

 _...She's suffering alot more than she lets on..._

"And what about your parents?"

"Hm?"

"Quinton said something about your mother and father being alive somewhere in Astral World...but you brushed it off like a common lie."

...Athena lets out an uncomfortable sigh before confessing,

"Well, they've been gone for a couple years now since that one global adventure they never returned from...I've just, come to accept that it may be permanent. I mean, why get your hopes up only to have it crushed like a grape without so much as a 'howdo you do'?...It's easier for me to let it go rather than hang on by a thread."

Analyzing her form for a minute, I wonder mentally,

 _But has it really been that much easier for you, Athena?_

Small Time Skip, No POV

After about half an hour, the blackette with amber red eyes leaves Kite to his own thoughts, convinced his state of mind has decompressed even just a little...But rather than go back to sleep, she quickly steals away to her room long enough to dress up in one of her workout outfits - the black halter top and capris with red lining and her monochrome sneakers with dark blue laces - before sneaking out of her bedroom window...

Her destination would be an area near the artificial riverside none too far away from her neighbourhood, and as the night sky very gradually allows the first few hints of the red sunrise to come in, Athena found herself busy trying to figuratively and literally punch and kick away her frustrations.

"Hrh! Ha! Gyh! Hah, (twist) this, is getting, (kick) hiya, ridiculous...!"

 _It was simple in the beginning: find the Numbers, restore Astral's memory and maybe get a few clues to my own damaged mind._

 _Then came Kite who wants the Numbers as a bartering chip to keep his little brother alive, which turned out to be a bunch of bullshit lies cooked up by his own father and Mister Heartland._

 _Not to mention Hart's connected to my captivity in some twisted fashion._

 _...Oh yeah, and let's add on the problem of my old Fallen Star demons comin' back at me with a vengeance. Why not?!_

"Hh! Hh!...Aaaargh!"

Giving up on the offensive exercises, Athena drops to her knees and fists a clump of her hair in each hand, recalling a more recent fact learned this evening...assuming it is true.

 _...And then there's what Chris said...Can, my parents really be-_

"No...No, don't you dare, Addy."

Shaking her head, the young teen scolds to herself,

"Don't you dare go to dreamer's land...Not when you know how harsh reality is...Haaah..."

 _Whaddo I do now?...Seems like no way I look at it, everything's gonna go boom with no warning of any kind._

"Sounds like you've once again come to a multiple fork in the road."

"Whoa!"

Jumping two feet into the air, the blackette whirls around to meet the smirking eyes of a very familiar dueling instructor...

"Long time no see, Athena."

"Uh! Master Roku! (Light smirk) Heh, yeah it has been quite some time since you knocked some sense into me and off my feet...How are things; Kaze doin' better?"

The girl's family members, Akira, Kite and Hart wander into the area - having been informed by LillyBot and Orbital Seven that she suddenly took off out her bedroom window a while earlier - as Roku answers,

"He's coming along...You on the other hand seem to be falling back into a similar state from when you first entered my sanctuary."

"Uh!...mm..."

"What has you troubled, my dear?"

Puffing out a big breath, Athena confesses vaguely,

"Alot of things that are threatening to tear me limb from limb, and almost too much to talk about in an hour."

"Hmm...I wanted to see what my promising young pupil was up to, so I came down from the mountain. I expected that you would be giving the World Duel Carnival all that you got. Little did I know that you would be facing such a difficult situation."

"No kidding...I dunno what else I can do besides push forward blind. I feel like if I try to focus on one challenge, I'm gonna neglect everything else."

"Hm...Perhaps you need a different form of exercise."

The girl with amber red irises tilts her head in confusion...only to recoil back in surprise when Roku suddenly springs his duel disk to life!

"Whuh?!"

"I hereby challenge you to a duel!"

"A duel?!...You're serious, aren't you?"

The elder gentleman with balding grey hair and bushy eyebrows curves his lips into a teachable smirk.

"Quite so. I am your dueling master, and my request will not be denied...If you truly feel assured that charging like a raging bull's the best strategy, then prove it to me."

"Rh!...Mph..."

 _But do I really have enough strength for another duel after that freak match with Trilos?_

"Athena?"

Despite any doubts rising within her heart, the young teen decides to follow through her dueling teacher's request.

"Hah...Alright. I accept the challenge, Master Roku."

"I cannot lend you any assistance."

"Uh?"

She pivots her head right to meet Astral's mismatched gold and silver-white irises.

"I think you need to do this, alone."

"When'd you get out he-...Mph, if that's your belief, then fine. I'm cool with going solo this time."

Athena focuses back in front of her with a more or less determined expression.

"Let's get it on, Master Roku!"

"Bring it!"

She snaps out her own equipment...

"Duel Disk on! Duel Gazer, show me the impossible, and guide the way!"

 **Augmented Reality Vision Link Established.**

"(Both duelists) Let's duel!"

As our little audience watches the fighters prep themselves for the battle ahead from the sidelines, Kite feels a tug on his sleeve and looks down to meet his younger brother's eyes.

"Hm? Hart?"

"...Do you think this duel will help Athena at all, big brother?"

The blond's grey irises widen slightly at the innocent question...before they fall into a neutral state as he focuses in front of himself again.

"...That'll depend on if she'll actually accept the help."

 _She may have persuaded me into withdrawing my barriers...but can she do the same with herself?_

"I'll be makin' the first move. I Draw!...First, I summon Obnoxious Celtic Guard to the field."

A portal of light opens from the ground up, and a figure springs out with a wave of a long sword, revealed to be a warrior with shoulder-length, straight blond hair dressed in green and brown metal-leather garbs with creamy white pants and a sweeping dark blue cape. His Level registers at Four with an Attack strength of 1400...

"Then by discarding one card in my hand, I can special summon The Tricky!"

A similar portal opens once again, blowing out a small dust bowl of wind which quickly dissipates to show a rather bizarre-looking monster, with elements of both a jester and a spellcaster and a question mark drawn onto their face matching the one on their chest. They're considerably stronger than Athena's first monster, Level Five and with 2000 Attack Points...

"Finally, I set one card face-down. That's all for this turn. Your move, Master."

Back at the edge of the battlefield, Terry tilts his head in confusion in response to his sister's choice of play.

"Huh. I'm surprised she didn't attack outright with a combo. Those are some pretty decent monsters she summoned."

His brother replies,

"She probably wants to wait and see what Roku will do before making the first offensive."

 _Still...I'm sensing a bit of hesitation..._

"Alright, my turn. I Draw!"

Roku looks down at his cards, and hums with a calculating smile before deciding on his course of action.

"I place one monster face-down in Defense Mode, then set another card face down."

"...That's it? That's all you're going to do?"

"Heh, I don't need to do anything more...Now then, do you dare attack, Athena?"

The girl furrows her eyebrows as she goes into thought.

 _Hmm...Is he trying to bait me, or is this some sort of scare tactic?_

 _...Agh, there's so many possibilities. So many ways it could go wrong or right._

"You know what? Act now, ask questions later. Celtic Guard: attack Roku directly!"

Said earth warrior starts a run towards the steady-aging dueling master...who merely smirks before making his counter.

"I activate my trap, Mirror Force!"

Once the card flips face-up, so too would it's unique battle scenario: an exact stone copy of Obnoxious Celtic Guard springs from the illuminated area, before charging to meet his sword with the true monster's.

(CLANG...)

The result is both are thrown back by an explosion of power, before disintegrating in their own pixel cluster...

"Uh! Celtic Guard!...Dammit, that should've done something at least!"

"I'm afraid the only thing that move accomplished is exposing your doubts."

"Hm!?"

Athena snaps her eyes forward to meet Roku's, who says to her,

"Your thoughts were so clouded and full of uncertainties that you did not fully strategize."

"Grh...yeah well, I'm feelin' some clear skies up ahead in this duel. I end my turn."

"Hm~, but will that clear sky be above your head, I wonder. Let's have a look. (Draws a card) Interesting...Seems I'll be switching Queen's Knight to face-up in Attack Mode."

The card on the latter's side of the field flips over in accordance to the new position, allowing the Level Four monster portrayed as a blond female knight in red and silver armor reflecting playing card elements to rise up, her 1500 Attack points displayed for all to see...

"And now I'll be summoning the King's Knight to join her Queen."

Another Level Four monster rises, they being a male warrior 100 points stronger than the other regal figure, also blond and dressed in yellow-orange and silver armour while wielding a lean-built sword...

"Now the virtuous couple is reunited, but the royal court is not yet complete! When Queen's Knight and King's Knight are both on the field, I can summon another card directly from my deck! Time to make way for Jack's Kniiight!"

This monster would be a level stronger than the previous two, standing as another male with blond hair but younger than his king with 1900 Attack Points and dressed in blue and silver armour...Astral immediately knew what Roku's next move would be.

"Not, good."

"I activate Polymerization!"

The trio of playing card-inspired knights raise their blades to cross over one another, before they're swallowed by a whirlwind...!

"With this spell, their powers fuse together to give rise to the defender of the Imperial Throne! Arcana Knight Joker!"

When the dust bowl dissipates, we reveal a very strong Level Nine warrior monster with 3800 Attack Points, in the guise of a heavily-armoured man with long dark purple hair and a sharp triangle-shaped sword in his right hand.

"Aw, geez...!"

"You thought the storms of uncertainty were beginning to clear, but that was just the calm before the true release of its wrath...Arcana Knight Joker: attack The Tricky!"

Roku's fusion monster follows through, diving forward to bring his sword down in a side-slash against the spellcaster and destroying them in a cloud of pixels and smoke, leaving the girl with long black hair to recoil with a cringe at the impacting energies.

"Rrrgh!"

 _Tricky..._

As her Life Points settle downward to 2200, the teen's brother Adam cries out her name while Akira mutters,

"Man, that must've felt like a slap to the face..."

 _Come on, Addy, get it together...!_

Roku had similar thoughts:

"...What has you so rattled, Athena? In your current state, I find it a miracle you were able to last this long against me. Right now, you're a fool vulnerable to impulse and fear."

"Uh-hh!...Hah...As much as I want to say you're wrong...you aren't. I just...I feel like my current affairs have become crazy monkeys on my back that have no intent in leaving me alone. I want to help Astral first and foremost...but, I also want to put my own brain back together, help Kite and Hart, and find a way to end things with Trilos and his gang once and for all...The problem is that they're now so interconnected, I'm...I'm scared of a possible crossfire and getting the people I care about hurt."

"So then you're trying to shake them off like a raging steer at a rodeo, as a way to start over?...I suppose that isn't the worst reaction to a situation like this one...but have you considered the consequences in throwing a fit in one place while blocking out the rest of the world?"

That caught Athena's attention, and the aging dueling instructor smiles with a wise twinkle in his eyes.

"Venting out your negative emotions to clear your mind may be a sign of balancing your health, but one must not get so fixated that they forget their goals. If you continue to allow your aching heart to control your reasoning, you'll be abandoning all that you hold dear: your dueling, the Carnival, your friends and family, everything you've been fighting for and training for."

"Roku..."

"Athena, I want you to look at your fists and your feet."

The girl does as her teacher advises, noting the healing abrasions on her hands and scuffs on her shoes...

"Each of those appendages are firmly rooted in dueling, whether it be the traditional gameplay or otherwise...You know from past experience that walking away from Duel Monsters is impossible for someone with your spirit. You're too stubborn and passionate, even on your weakest days...A trait you share with your mother."

"Uh!...My mother...?"

"Yes. I know that your thoughts these days regarding your parents are not overly positive...but I can sense deep inside, you don't want to give up on the hope of seeing their faces again."

...Athena breaks eye contact with Roku, choosing to stare off at the riverside in distant thought.

 _Is it really possible?...Do I, still believe we'll meet eyes again...?_

"You must trust that the path of the duelist will lead you to the answers you seek."

"...Maybe you're right, master."

She turns to face the elder again with a somewhat lighter expression than before, a half-smile on her lips.

"Maybe, I should just stop jostling around like a bull and enjoy the little things this multi-layered road has to offer...And as for my issues, I'll just wing it and make sure I'm prepared for what may come."

Her answer brings an approving smile to Roku's lips, while relieved and proud smiles spread to the other souls in the vicinity...excluding Kite, who chose to express a very small half-smirk.

 _Hmph, I'm actually, glad my ally/rival's got her head on straight...because if I'm going to accept her help, I don't want her mulling like a loser without a cause._

...

...

At the same time Athena began to put her priorities in an order that made sense to her, back in the hotel suite occupied by Vetrix and his three young agents, the child-bodied man sat on his throne in an attempt to ground his anger over recent failures.

"Agh, how could it have all gone so wrong?! So close to obtaining the ultimate power source, and what happened?!...We're blocked off by Kite and some young ally of his!"

The three brothers all bow in apology to him, feeling ashamed in their own right.

"...We're so sorry, Vetrix."

He glares from behind his mask for a moment...before letting out a breath of frustration and collapsing back in his seat in exasperation.

"...Damn it all..."

 _Now what will I do? Without Hart's power, I won't be able to enact my grand plans of vengeance._

"...There are an infinite amount of means to an end, my friend. You simply have to turn to the next best source."

"Uh!"

Snapping out of his daze, Vetrix turns his head upward towards the back windows, spotting a figure who wasn't there previously. Tall with the rectangular build of a male, the only discernible and distinguishing characteristic of this mysterious individual is the pure white laboratory coat worn over his body...

"I can offer a power greater than that of Hart Tenjo's, if you're interested."

"...Who are you, and how did you get in here?"

Ignoring the second question, the stranger answers the first.

"My name, is Alister, and I represent Eclipse Laboratories."

They walk forward, passing the frozen forms of Quinton, Quattro and Trey. The second brother makes a motion to start an argument with the apparent scientist, but is held back by the former...

"You wish to enact vengeance against Doctor Faker, correct, by any means within your reach?...Why chase after a youth with an untamed energy from outside this world, when you can accept the powers perfected by human science?"

Vetrix raises an eyebrow in confusion to Alister's cryptic speech, and the latter reaches into his left coat pocket to pull out a curious little device in a decagon shape. An ominous vermilion and poisonous violet glow emits from the object as the scientist presents it to the other antagonistic man in the room...

The second his gloved fingertips touch the decagon, Vetrix felt a strong, near-seismic beat grip his veins.

(Ba-bump, vrooaaaaammmm)

"Hh!"

 _Such, energy...!...My own crest feels pale in comparison..._

"What do you say, Vetrix? Do you wish to discuss the matter further?"

...A cat-like grin spreads onto the child-like male's lips.

"...You have my attention, Alister."

He adds in his mind as his own crest - shaped like an ammonite shell inside a circle traced in the sand - glows a white-washed fuchsia on the back of his right hand,

 _Hope you're ready, Doctor Faker..._

 _Soon, I will ruin you with the power you so desire! Your end is coming, ahahahahahahahaha!_

Athena's POV

 _...Mm!_

The lot of us had returned home about forty minutes ago (the duel ending with Roku as winner by 1000 Life Points), and I just sat down on the porch in my more comfortable t-shirt pajama dress with Terry, Akira, Kite and Roku when I suddenly feel this weird shiver down my spine.

 _...What was that?_

"You okay, kid?"

Focusing back to reality, I reply to my older guy friend with a half-smile,

"Yeah, just a cold chill, I think...So then, Kite."

He looks up from watching over his little brother sleeping in his lap to indicate he's listening...

"Just askin' this for confirmation, but, it's Doctor Faker, your, father, that's the real brains behind organizing the WDC while Heartland's the pretty boy figurehead, right?"

His face contorts with a bit of tension, but he nods and replies,

"...Yeah, that's right. It was technically Heartland's idea, but Faker's the one who funded the resources and fueled organization."

Roku makes the following observation.

"Every light casts a shadow, every puppet a puppeteer. That's all my ears have perceived regarding Doctor Faker, the brilliant man said to have built Heartland City."

Akira scoffs,

"If by brilliant, you mean kooky recluse, then I agree. From what I gather, he's all mystery and wants to keep it that way...Though maybe not for long if Caswell has any success with those files."

That caught Kite's attention, as well as my brother's.

"What files?"

"What's he talkin' about, sis?"

I answer without skipping a beat,

"A friend through friends has a talent for hacking and managed to get a hold of some rather, interesting-looking information from the nerve center of the inner city. Most of it's still encrypted, but Jamal and Flip took the flash drive to Cas earlier this evening to see what he can do with it."

...They all stare at me like I've grown an extra head for a couple seconds...

"What?"

Groaning inwardly, Terry shakes his head and chides,

"Good god, you're gonna be the death of me, little rebel...Just remember to be careful and remove any possible trackers from the data so no one comes beatin' down our door."

"Roger."

"...If you do make any progress...show me."

I glance over at Kite with surprise at his request, but then nod with an expression of promise.

"Consider it done."

"...Back on the subject of Doctor Faker, I do recall one time he did leave the city."

Jumping in out seats, we turn around and see Gramps standing in the doorway, a serious expression on his face contrasting the accompanying Adam's worry brow.

"Your parents led him on an expedition, the very same one they took which led to their mysterious absence we all know now."

Adam adds,

"Not only that...but, I think Chris's dad went on that trip too. If he knew about what happened, he sure didn't talk about it...In fact, I remember he would get almost deathly quiet whenever I casually brought it up, back when we communicated that is."

 _Hm..._

"Your parents, Doctor Faker, Mister Heartland and Quinton's father are all connected. This cannot be written off as mere coincidence here, Athena."

I make eye contact with Astral as I reply mentally,

 _I was just thinkin' that myself...I'm also wondering if maybe Faker, or even Chris's father might know something about what happened to me in that, strange laboratory._

"Hmm...I suppose the possibility is evident...and it would seem the only way we shall find our answers, is by pressing on in this tournament."

I nod in agreement, casting my eyes up to the stars above.

 _Yep...The ship's gotta sail on._

 _..._

 _..._

"Choosing that card makes choosing the previous one unnecessary."

"So you've told me already, but I still think my deck will benefit from both."

"Then at least protect it with that Trap Card."

"You mean this one?"

"Yes."

A little while later, Astral and I find ourselves sitting in the attic above my room planning out my-or, I guess our deck for tomorrow's final day of the preliminaries, me sitting on top a futon and sleeping bag while he illusions sitting in his float across from me. Like before, I've got Kite and Hart bunking together on my bed below...

"I see you are not using as many cards from your father's deck this time."

"Hm? Oh. Yeah, well...to be honest, lately I've felt like a little kid trying to fill the big shoes of their parents. I mean, they're great monsters, no doubt, but...I think it's time I get a bit more personal. More me."

"I think I understand. You wish to create a deck that feels yours."

"Exactly...But however I built it, the one thing that'll matter most is trusting my cards..."

I look up to meet his eyes while adding,

"And trusting my partner."

"Uh!...Athena..."

"Astral...let's you and me kick some major ass in this tourney."

He stares at me for about a minute...before forming a minuscule smile and nodding, the gesture alone warming my heart enough that as I fall asleep...I feel more assured with everything than I have in a while.

 _...But then, what's with this nagging feeling like there's more than what I'm seeing?_

Alister's POV

"What?!...That girl?"

I nod and confirm to Vetrix,

"Yes. The child Athena Fujina is in fact the current host of the envoy from Astral World."

"...Did you say...Fujina? As in Orion and Sarina's daughter?"

"Correct again."

Vetrix seemed to have a hard time believing me, though given past relations and events, I cannot blame his skepticism.

"...It can't be!...That's impossible...But on the other hand...perhaps, I should have expected this."

His expression falls into a flat frown as he mutters,

"If they aren't around, it would have to fall to one of their children to carry their torch...But for it to be their youngest...truly amazing..."

 _Hm. Perhaps it would be best I don't tell him how precisely I know of Athena..._

 _After all, (smirk) how would he have reacted if one of his own children were one of my experiments?_


	45. Ruffled Feathers & Goosebumped Skin

Hey all! Just a quick blurb beforehand, there are two cards of my own design that'll be making their debut in this chapter.

 **Sundorian Princess Kumiko**

 **Sundorian Twilight**

Like before, if you wanna know what they do, read on and find out (and no borrowing without my permission! Please ask first).

Now on with the action!

* * *

Early morning light streams over the buildings of Heartland City as the third and final day of the WDC Preliminaries begins. But rather than checking in on one of our well-known competitors, the focus zooms within the hidden headquarters of the city mayor as he speaks with two very late entries...

"You two want to join the World Duel Carnival?"

Heartland turns his chair to meet his lavender irises with Nistro's violet-blue, the latter replying with confidence and determination,

"That's right. We want a piece of the action. If you let us enter, you won't be sorry."

"...You'd have to resign from the organizing committee. (Stands with a smile) Bu~t, if that's what you really want..."

"It is, Mister Heartland."

The older male makes his steady approach to the younger, approving the decision...if not without a certain condition or two.

"Okay then. But if you enter, I expect you to make all the through to the finals. Is that understood, Nistro?"

"Yes, Mister Heartland. You don't have to worry about that. I have my eyes set on someone."

Heartland's eyes narrow the slightest with interest.

"Interesting...I should hope you're referring to _Kite_."

Nistro stiffens a bit from the bitter address of that one name, and the mayor releases the former's shoulders as he turns to slowly wander back to where his previous seat resides.

"I'm assuming from that expression you and Dextra haven't received the latest on his status, have you? My mistake...Kite and Hart Tenjo have finally gone rogue."

A wisp of a gasp escapes the young woman's lips about the same time her partner's eyes widen, and their boss adds,

"And if you're to run into Kite during the tournament..."

He glances over his shoulder with a cold expression.

" _Do everything you can to make him regret turning his back on us_."

...The late teens are soon seen riding a moving walkway, their minds still somewhat muddled by recent news and the easiness in switching their roles...Dextra decides to break the silence by inquiring an answer regarding a question nagging from the back of her skull.

"...You're not going after Kite, are you?"

"Hm?"

"You plan on going after Athena Fujina, right?...Remember, she's the one playing host to, the Original Number. We'll need to devise a plan, especially now that she's managed to persuade Kite into joining forces with her."

Smirking, Nistro lightly argues,

"I seriously doubt those two have really teamed up. We both know Kite's the type to play on his own terms. She just gave him the final push to get out alive...And besides..."

He looks down at the stack of cards in his hand - the first one on the bottom being a copy of Heroic Challenger Spartan - and adds,

"With a deck like mine, I won't need some fancy plan."

Recognizing the deck, the young woman with purple hair asks,

"Hold on. What about the deck Mister Heartland gave you? You have to use that one."

"I thought about using that one, but I'm not really feelin' it. My deck's way better, anyway, and I'll prove it by taking down Athena and the Original Number before anyone else gets the chance."

Reaching the end of the automatic path, the pair walk out through a doorway onto a balcony attached to the inner city wall to overlook the outer area...

"When you're as good as me, you don't worry about plans."

...Nistro notices that Dextra's expression hasn't relaxed.

"What's with the serious look on your face?"

Turning her gaze back outward, the latter reminds the former,

"You do realize we'll each have to win all five Heart Pieces in just one day..."

"My kind of odds, Dextra... _My_ kind of odds...Plus if those punks we were trying to chase could do it, it'll be child's play for us."

Athena's POV

"Athena...Athena, are you up yet?"

"Mm...hrm...?"

The feeling of little fingers gently prodding my forehead stirs me awake, and blinking away the tiredness in my eyes, I find myself staring up at a certain young boy's face beaming at me with a sunny little smile.

 _Hart?...Oh, right, now it's coming back._

"Heh, I am now, kiddo."

Rising to a sitting position, I rub my left eye while giving the kid a once over.

"You're lookin' bright-eyed and bushy-tailed this morning. Have a good sleep, I take it?"

"Uh-huh. Best I've had in a while...Same for big brother too."

"Is that right? Good to hear."

Hearing that my former enemy turned mutual ally is slowly integrating towards a slightly more peaceful outlook made a part of my heart feel warm, because it meant that I'm doing good for people who deserve it...Anyway, as I flip the sleeping bag off my body, I tell Hart,

"I'll meet you and him downstairs in a bit. Just gotta get dressed."

"'kay!"

I watch his little form bound down the attic's exit, making me shake my head in amusement.

 _Amazing that he's actually on the move like any other kid his age..._

 _Something's definitely changed since yesterday, but not in a bad way._

Letting the thought rest in the back of my head, I gather up my dueling equipment and newly-built deck before clambering down the ladder to my room. Setting the stuff on my desk, I glance out the window and see that the sun had already risen a fair deal.

 _Hm. Must've slept in a bit...Probably about nine by now._

Turning away, I walk over to my closet to pick out some clothes...I settle on an outfit consisting of my ice blue spaghetti-strap top with the Black Magician of Chaos's image printed on the front, my black leather jacket, a dark red cargo skirt reaching the top of my knees, and my brown steel-toe boots with white knee-high socks. For my hair, I settle on a style with most of it tied into a long braid, and a single thick strand on the right left loose to act like a lengthy bang.

Adjusting my golden pendant, I nod in approval at my appearance.

 _Not bad._

That's when Astral materializes out of the key.

"Mornin'."

"Good morning. I am surprised to see you are functioning considering how late we were returning to your home and beyond that."

A lazy smirk forms on my lips as I wander back to my desk to pull on my dueling gear.

"Yeah well, after so many late night raids and sleepless nightmares pounding my skull, I've gotten used to running on little Zzs. At one time ago, I could go for three days without sleep. Sure, there was the risk of zombie brain, but I could still interact with the world."

"I see...That does not sound very healthy. Are not all humans suppose to get an adequate amount of sleep in order to reclaim the energy lost during the daytime?"

"...Logically, yes, but understand that everyone's got their own internal clock, Astral. Most may follow a similar rhythm...but there are others like mine that fall between wired as all hell or just choosing to cut back the hours..."

Heading for the door, I add,

"But hopefully, after this tourney's over with, I can allow some room for getting my clock fixed."

 _Assuming I don't have too many thoughts keeping me up..._

Down the hall and stairs I went, and the first face I meet eyes with is Akira's who sits on one side of the living room couch while Adam occupied the other.

"Yo."

"Yo yourself. Get any sleep?"

"Eh, enough that I should remain conscious until the evening starts."

"Teh, nice."

I then notice Kite's up as well, he sitting in one of the chairs with his little bro in his lap.  
Seeing the two looking so content and, relaxed made my heart grow warm again...if a little sad as well.

 _Only god knows how long it's been since they've had a moment like this..._

"Ah, Athena, good morning."

Focusing back out of my thoughts, I turn to see gramps approaching from the direction of the kitchen.

"Good morning, grandpa...Is Master Roku not up yet?"

"Actually, he arose earlier and left for the sanctuary."

I frown a little in disappointment.

"Aw, really? I was kind-of hoping he'd stay for the rest of the tourney..."

"He had to return to meet with an old student...But he wanted me to tell you that he's proud of your decision to continue persevering down the road traveled by all duelists."

 _Heh, right, (looks down) 'cause that's all I can really do at this point. Persevere..._

"Now don't you go makin' that face again."

"Hm? Uh!"

Looking up from the floor, I nearly recoil back in surprise at seeing my other brother standing in front of me with a firm but meaningful expression.

"You've come so far in making a name for yourself as a duelist, so you can't afford to wallow in self-pity. (Light smirk) The only thing you should be concerned with is giving as many competitors as possible a reason to never underestimate you."

"Terry..."

"Addy, Addy."

As if on cue in this train of re-encouragement, LillyBot comes rolling into the room with Orbital steady at her heels (or would it be wheels?).

"You must eat, you must eat."

She presents me with a familiar bundle.

"Duel Fuel. Duel Fuel."

Taking it with a half-smile, I reply,

"Keh, thanks, Lil, but I should get breakfast in me first. I'll eat this later, for sure."

"Duel Fuel? What's that?"

Peering over at the kid, I use a comparison he's catch on right away.

"It's sort-a my version of the caramel power-ups you and your brother share. A little bit of positive motivation to keep trying since I was five."

That seemed to register based on the new smile, while Kite raises an eyebrow at me.

"How do you know about that?"

"Hart told me. Well, kind-of; had to call in some, outside help..."

That only served to confuse him more, but he chose to not question me further...

"Erm, sorry to cut the conversation short, but you might wanna shake a leg, sis. There's still a task to do before you can enter the finals."

 _Ah! That's right, my fifth Heart Piece..._

Nodding at Adam, I mutter more to myself.

"Better make that breakfast to go, then."

Akira stands up and shows me another cloth bundle larger than the one Lil gave me.

"One step ahead of ya. Got enough for both of us to eat along the way."

"Thanks, 'kira...So Kite."

Focusing back on the still-technically Number Hunter, I ask him,

"You gonna stay here and chill, or are you comin' out too?"

...He doesn't answer for a minute, and I can tell the reason has to do with his conflict in leaving his younger brother's side...

"I'll be alright, big brother."

Eyes turn to the kid himself as he says with reassurance,

"I, haven't been feeling any bad energy since we left the tower, and I feel safe here in Addy's house...Besides, we need to make sure that Heartland and, Faker, don't get their hands on any other Numbers in any way we can. I can't do much...but you've got the freedom to."

"Hart...Hah, okay."

They share a hug as the older boy sets the younger one to his feet in accordance to getting up.

"But call me the second you need me."

"Will do."

My own bros and grandpa then chime,

"We'll all be home today, so Hart won't be by himself."

"Yeah, no worries; we'll take good care of him."

"Hart will remain safe under our roof, young man, I promise you."

Kite's concerns seemed to leave most of his expression after that, and he settles back into the familiar stoic while gesturing his mini mech to follow him to the door...The five of us - myself, Astral, Akira, Kite and Orbital - are soon outside and heading for the stairs down to street level, and the robot didn't skip a beat in voicing his own worries.

"A-Are you sure about this, Ma-Master Kite? You've only just recovered after your last Pho-Photon Transformation, and given that we'll have Heartland a-and company on our tails-"

I cut him off by drawling,

"Aoh stop being such a mother hen, would you? Everything's gonna be fine; we just have to stay positive is all."

"Positive? That's a word I haven't heard you use for a while."

"Hm?"

Glancing down the stairs, my eyes bugle slightly at the sight of the rest of my main crew waiting patiently on the sidewalk. Tiffany, Caden, Flip, Jamal, even Caswell's here!

 _Oh, wow..._

"Morning, Addy."

"U-Uhm, yeah, right back at'chya."

 _Tiff's lookin' a bit perky...but is that how she's really feeling?_

I decide to backtrack on my BFF's emotional state later and just half-smile back as I made my way down the stairs to everyone.

"Really, it's nice to see everybody at once again...'specially you, Cas."

Locking eyes with him, I ask,

"How's that arm of yours? The handicap causing you any grief?"

"Not overly. I mean, it's been difficult to only have one working hand, but hey, a tough guy like me can't be kept down for long. No sir! No one pushes me around!"

Flip then slides in and pushes Caswell a little as he beams,

"Addy! We're all here to cheer you on in the Carnival!"

Caden chimes similarly,

"We know you're gonna pounce the competition and send them running like mice, mreow."

It feels nice to know I have all this positivity to back me up. Suddenly, the world isn't as weighing...

"Of course, we won't just got your back."

"Hm?"

Jamal shifts his gaze between myself and Kite as he says with a serious undertone in his smile,

"Tiff gave us the lowdown on the way down here regarding your little adventure the other night, an', well...all I can say to you is this, Kite: don' waste this chance to be with people who actually support your cause."

To say our resident Number Hunter was surprised by my best guy friend's words would be an understatement. He actually couldn't respond verbally and was close to gaping...until he settles on keeping his lips shut and nodding in acknowledgement...

"It's the last day of the World Duel Carnival Preliminary Round, and time is running out! If you wanna be part of the finals, hurry up and win your five Heart Pieces! Now get out there and duel!"

The lot of us are now walking by the man-made river as our 'delightful' mayor's voice echoes overhead, and I comment,

"Is anybody else besides me finding his voice is starting to sound about as annoying as a fly on the wall?"

A few of my friends murmur in agreement while Akira replies wryly,

"I thought that was just me...I'm shocked that our 'dear mayor' is even able to showboat..."

Jamal adds,

"Yeah, I would've thought with Kite and Hart going AWOL, he'd be panicking up a storm."

I shrug,

"Guess he's just that good of an actor."

"...Oh! Before I forget..."

Caswell hurries behind me and presents that familiar kuriboh flash drive over my left shoulder.

"I finally finished decoding those encrypted files."

"Uh! Already?"

"Mhm. In the end, the Heartland database was no match for my code-breaking skills...I also took the liberty of removing any possible tracers, so nobody from Heartland's group should be able to track us...Although I gotta say..."

I could hear the delicate frown etching onto his face.

"What I did find on here was a bit disturbing to say the least. About half of the information is still classified, but, what isn't points towards yet another secret organization."

 _You, have got, to be kidding..._

Taking the drive from him, I pull out my duel disk and plug it in...

"What, the...?"

 _Eclipse, Laboratories?...Wait a minute..._

 _(Flash)_

 _Above the door of that steel and glass cell I was kept in...There was a symbol..._

 _A, solar eclipse..._

 _(Flash)_

"Uh-h!...It's them..."

I stop in my tracks, prompting everyone else to do the same.

"Huh?" "What's wrong?"

"Addy?"

With a trembling hand, I utter out with a level of fear that feels both familiar and foreign to me,

"This...These files...They're from the place, I was taken to years ago!...These are the people who hurt me."

A couple gasps sound, and Kite steps over for a closer look at the open pages.

"You're sure?"

"Yes...The name; it, triggered something. A symbol above the door of my cell. A solar eclipse...I'm almost certain this organization's the same one that had me kidnapped."

Tiffany asks aloud with a bit of worry in her own voice,

"But why would the Heartland database have something like this? Human experimentation doesn't sound like the thing even Mister Heartland would be into."

"Maybe not him...but then there's Doctor Faker."

Clicking the files off, I turn my eyes on Kite and ask him,

"Do you think your father might've tried appealing to these laboratories to help Hart?"

"...It's possible. You and he do share a common memory...But these files don't really say much about what exactly they did or didn't do."

"No...I guess we'll just have to wait until mine or Hart's memories reveal more details. Currently, confronting Faker wouldn't be wise."

Kite almost looks like he wants to disagree, but went along with my logic anyway.

"Right. Not while the Carnival's still running...Speaking of which, we should probably go our separate ways from here."

 _Huh?_

Sensing mine and everyone else's confusion, he explains,

"Whether they've caught onto on alliance or not, the less we're seen together outside your home, the better."

 _Ah, right. That does make sense..._

"But, don't think I'm not, grateful for what you're doing for my brother and I."

A sliver of softness rose on Kite's face as he says to me,

"Thanks to you, I no longer have to cater to second-rate minds who had no intention of really helping Hart."

"I'm glad to hear that from you."

"...But remember what I also said about the Numbers."

That sternness reappears in the shift of topic.

"While I find your terms agreeable, when the time comes, I won't just be handing the Number Cards I've collected over. (Half-smirk) The only sure-fire way you'll be getting them, is through a duel."

 _Teh, saw that one coming. Duelist's pride and all._

Smirking back, I reply,

"Somehow, I knew you were gonna slide a duel in...and you make a fair point. We'll settle it with a chat over a match. Don't think I'll go easy on you either."

"Keh, right...Good luck getting your last piece."

He signals Orbital to transform into their glider form, and he calls before taking off for the skies,

"And if I hear that you and Astral aren't in the finals, I won't be merciful in my lecture!"

"Duly noted!"

...Once he was gone, Jamal comes up beside me and asks somewhat apprehensively,

"I don't mean to sound doubtful, but, you're absolutely sure there won't be any deceit on Kite's part?"

"Way sure, but I understand why you're feelin' antsy still...Until now, Kite hasn't been a real good for us, particularly for Astral..."

I form a small smile as I finish my case.

"But now that he's ditched the people who've been oppressing him and his brother, he'll be a powerful ally."

"I guess you're right...but what about the Numbers?"

"Negotiations can come later after we finish off the tourney drama...And don't worry, Astral."

My eyes peer upward to meet his as I tell him,

"As much as I wanna keep the talk civil, I will fight my ass off to make sure your memory is restored."

"I appreciate that, truly..."

Akira cuts into the conversation to get us back on current events.

"But first things first, we gotta get'chya into the finals."

Caden adds while crossing his arms,

"And the only way that's happening is by gathering all the pieces required...How many do you have again?"

I pull out my near-complete Heart Piece to show off.

"Almost all five. Just need one more..."

Tilting her head to the side with that cute smile, Tiffany comments,

"It's amazing how much can be accomplished in just a few days...Now we just need to track down a duelist for ya."

Flip hops in the air with a fist raised, already feeling more pumped than everyone else.

"Yeah, like a really rotten one with no ability!"

Folding my arms, I harrumph back with an indignant glare,

"Come on, man, I want my last required duel to have a bit of a challenge..."

Cade reasons,

"Plus there probably won't be any amateurs left in the competition."

"Alright alright, forget rotten then...How about a half-rookie duelist?"

That seemed agreeable with the rest of the crew.

"Yeah." "That's better-thinkin'!"

"Half-rookie sounds right!"

I just sigh and groan while throwing my head back,

"At this point, I don't care about skill; just find me someone who won't kick my hide on the first turn!"

...

A little while later, I find myself wandering around a park with Tiffany, Caswell and Astral after the others split up to comb the city for someone I could duel with...

"I would've thought you'd be running around like a chicken with their head cut off."

"Yeah, how are you remaining so calm, Addy?"

Repositioning my hands behind my head, I reply casually to my non-alien friends,

"Because I'd rather let the last battle come to me instead of accidentally mowing down a fellow duelist in a fruitless and desperate scramble. Besides, it's not even lunch time..."

Tiff shakes her head with a half-amused smile.

"Of course...Still, I'd be careful on how you manage your time."

"I'm managing just fine, thank you."

(...Brriiing)

"Cas, that's you."

"I know that!...Hang on..."

He struggles slightly thanks to his temporary handicap, but manages to pull out his duel gazer.

(Beep)

"Oh, it's a text from Flip...Hmm...Hh! Uh oh..."

"What? Is he in trouble?"

"More like he just dodged trouble. You're not gonna believe who he saw collecting Heart Pieces just now...!"

Pausing our walk, Caswell then shows us a text/image message sent by our friend from one of the alleyway sections...

"Gh! No way!" "Oh come on, not them!"

 _Nistro and Dextra?!_

This time, I really couldn't stifle my groan and let it ring for any passers to hear.

"Great. Juuust great; as if the pressure wasn't already on, now this!...Wait a sec..."

 _Crap, does Kite know?_

"Caswell, send me a copy of Flip's message so I can pass it along."

He does as I ask while inquiring curiously,

"To who?"

"Who do ya think? Everyone! After last night, I'm not taking any chances with possible threats. I'm keeping all of us on high alert."

 _I haven't heard from Shark recently, but I should give him a quick heads-up too..._

 _I'm not letting anybody of my circle get caught unawares._

I finish compiling my message and hit send, letting out the kind of sigh you'd usually hear from an old woman rather than a teenager...A gentle hand makes its way onto my shoulder, and I look up to see Tiffany giving me a comforting and somewhat teasing smile.

"Heh, I think we know who the real mother hen is, and it isn't Orbital."

"Uh...Mph, I'm acting paranoid again, aren't I?"

"A little, but it's coming from a good place...Just don't make yourself crazy in the process, and remember to keep most of the focus on protecting yourself."

 _...Protecting myself, hm?_

"Aah! Look, there he is!"

"Huh?"

Our attention then diverts up ahead as a pair of young boys go running down the stairs for the courtyard, following a bunch of other faces that include a few students from the academy. Tiffany and Caswell wonder aloud,

"What's up with those people?"

"Not sure, but it must be something exciting...Maybe it's a pair of competitors for the Carnival."

Floating down near me, Astral suggests,

"Perhaps it would not hurt to follow the crowd and see what is happening."

Shrugging, I say to everyone,

"Well let's not stand here like a bunch'a trees then. C'mon."

...Making our way down and finding a space between a few young adults and grade-schoolers, we'd discover that there is a duel going on...but not necessarily for the tourney.

"And now to finish you off! Esper Star Sparrow, attack with Mega Punch Surprise!"

 _Uh!...Nelson...But what's he doing in his costume?_

"Oh my gosh, it's Sparr-I-I mean, Nelson!...Wow, it's been a while since we saw him."

Hearing my gal pal's attempt to stifle her inner fangirl made an amused smirk rise on my face as we watch him make his final move against his opponent, taking them down in no time flat. As the AR fades, Cas then asks us in surprise,

"Since when do you two know a TV star?"

"Long story, man,"

"And we have a Number Card to thank for it."

"Ah. Say no more."

We tune back to the rest of the world as Nelson then announces,

"As I promised, I shall now resume, autographing!"

The little sea of people doesn't waste any time in scrambling in front of the poor kid, a few nearing knocking me and my friends off our feet.

"Whoa!" "Hey!"

"Watch it!"

 _Ugh, I see the gabble of sheep hasn't changed much..._

I only get more annoyed when my ears pick up on the following squeals.

"I can't believe it's him!" "This is the best day of my life!"

"...Just so we're clear, Tiff, yes, that's what you sounded like when we snuck into the sound stage."

By no surprise to me, she immediately denies it with a defensive stutter.

"Wh-What?! I don't sound like that!"

"Heh, liar. You do and you know it, but you're too embarrassed to admit it."

"Auh, Addy!"

Caswell just smiles helplessly at us and says,

"Now take it easy, girls; remember where we are."

"Hey, you in the costume!"

"Hm!"

We all stiffen to a standstill come the familiar voice call, and look over to see the same pair that Flip sent a warning about earlier.

 _Oh, crap..._

Sensing my rising worries, Astral reassures me,

"Do not panic, Athena. Their focus is not on us, but rather, on Nelson."

 _Yeah, I know...but that's why I'm a little concerned._

Focusing in on Nistro, I notice that his attire's changed a little since I last saw him, now donning a grey black coat with light orange fur trimming the collar and bottom, leather pants with two belts around the waist, and a pair of white/brown cowboy boots.

 _Huh...He almost looks more, free..._

"You look like a duelist who has a Heart Piece he's willing to part ways with."

To my surprise and slight relief, Nelson holds strong and isn't intimidated by the other's personality.

"A Heart Piece?...I'm guessing you're in the World Duel Carnival?"

"That's right, and if you've got a Heart Piece to complete my set, I'm gonna win it from ya."

"(Slight smirk) I'm afraid, I must disagree with you. It is your Heart Piece that will complete my set."

 _Ah! So Nelson's in the tourney too?_

 _(Slight smile) I'm glad to see his confidence has boosted, but, again, not really seeing the point of the costume..._

"You see, I need my fourth Heart Piece, and yours will do nicely."

"Ohohoh, I'm sure it would, but you don't look like someone who can win it."

 _Hmph, cocky are we?...Alright, so his personality's definitely the same as ever..._

"Addy! Tiff, Caswell!"

Turning our eyes right, we see one of our friends rushing over to us.

"Oh, Flip!"

"Hah, hah, I see you got my message...and, found The Sparrow too. Man, the half-rookies really are scarce on day three."

I wave a dismissive hand and tell him,

"Eh, at least you tried, and we can give it another go in a bit...For now, let's see if Nelson's got the stuff to take on Nistro."

"Mm, alright, your call...buuut I'm just gonna..."

He then darts part of his body behind mine.

"Stand back here if that's cool."

"Haaah, if you insist..."

 _Can't blame him for playing chicken since those two are here, but still..._

Anyway, we call put our attention on the starting battle as Nelson and Nistro get their gear ready.

"Rrrrraaaah!"

"Bring it on, bird boy! Hhhhhh!"

"Duel Disk, set!"

"Get ready to feel the heat!...Ha!"

 **Augmented Reality Vision Link Established.**

They each cry out as the AR settles for all of us alike,

"Let's Duel!"

"...Hey, guys!"

That's when the last three of our group - Jamal, Caden and Akira - make their grand arrival. Flip smiles and says to them,

"Nice to see you three made it here too."

"Yeah, thanks to your message. (Looks at me) You get the same?"

I shake my head at Jamal and say,

"Not exactly. It all sort-of fell into place on its own after Flip's warning text."

"Ah."

"...Yo, Tiffy!"

"Tiffany, over here!"

The surprises don't seem to wanna cease, and glancing sideways, I spot my gal pal's two friends Calli and Hana were standing next to us. Since were not trapped in school, they were free to wear their individual styles. Calli's look is kind-of like mine but more tomboy, this round being a yellow and dark blue-checkered vest with ripped sleeves overtop a plain white tank top, deep brown baggy pants and a pair of showy red high tops, all of which show off her lovely caramel complexion and funky curly black/dark blue hair nicely. Hana meanwhile encompasses a sweetheart look like Tiffany's, this time a soft pink cap-sleeve dress with a cream while crochet mini poncho overtop, and brown peter pan boots with a matching-coloured bow in middle of her long white-blond hair. Her peachy skin and innocent grey-blues only add to the factor, both girls making my heart flutter with semi-foreign emotions.

...I hurry to focus up front and away from them before any blushing starts, almost cursing myself for being distracted by pretty faces.

 _Kh, get it together, girl. If Tiff catches you leering at her friends again, she'll smack you silly!_

And when it isn't my fellow girls stirring something in me, guys definitely do. I'll never admit it aloud, but I have flushed over some of the hot boys at the academy...even Shark. There, I admit it: he's a good-looking guy! But most of these ogle moments are just for the eye-candy; I don't plan on doing anything serious with anybody in this current time...At least, I don't think so.

 _God, I hate hormones; why do they have to be so confusing?_

"Is everything alright, Athena? Your face looks more coloured than usual. Are you unwell?"

Snapping out of my overly-conflicting thoughts over my sexuality, I stutter back to Astral,

"N-No, I'm fine; just lost in, o-other thoughts."

His expression told me he hardly bought my words, but for the sake of the appending battle, he chose to drop the subject completely much to my relief...I mean, don't get me wrong: I'm not ashamed of the possibility that I could be...bisexual...I just dunno if I really need the label, you know?

 _Is there something so wrong with flirting and staring at anyone you want, regardless if they wear pants or a skirt?_

Moving on, it doesn't take very long - a few turns at best - before Nelson brings out his big gun trio, Beast Warrior Puma, Phoenix Beast Gairuda and his monster clone, Esper Star Sparrow while also setting an unnamed card face-down on the field. Meanwhile, Nistro's got three copies of a monster known as Heroic Challenger Spartan, which reads as a sign he's changed his deck recently, and two face-down cards. Both of them have dealt some fair damage to eachother, the totals dropping to 3400 and 3000 respectively.

 _Well, Nelson's staying strong so far. That's good...and based on his current field, I think I know which monster's coming next._

"And now, fiend, I summon the mighty and powerful, Iron Hammer the Giant in Defense Mode!"

 _Called it...Hm?_

That's when I glance up and notice the slight sparkle of excitement in Astral's eyes and a gape in his mouth, making me smirk in amusement.

 _...Keep that face up and it's gonna be permanent._

He jumps a bit on the spot, turning to look at me in half-embarrassment for catching his fanboy moment. It morphs into annoyance as soon as I start snickering quietly.

 _Wow. Been a while since you spaced out like that._

"It is not that funny."

 _Why? You're always on with the serious vibe so it's almost hilarious to see you acting like, well, a teenager._

"I am not immature of mind, if that is what you are implying."

 _I know that; don't get so defensive...I'm just sayin' it's okay to let your inner kid out..._

 _I, like seeing this side of you, Astral._

He's taken aback by my words, so to spare him anymore confusion, I surrender this conversation for a different one which I incorporate everyone else on.

"So has anybody else besides me noticed a change in Nistro's cards?"

Flip replies,

"Yeah! He's not using the Photon monsters he did last time!...Still, they look pretty strong, and you, me and Tiff know how brutal Nistro is in battle..."

A shiver runs through my gal pal as she mutters,

"No kidding," but I just smile awkwardly and comment,

"Eh, well, it's not like I actually had a front row seat for most of the action since I was otherwise, preoccupied..."

"Preoccupied?"

I turn to Akira and reply,

"Long story, dude, but let's just say the whole 'caught in two places at once' concept got proven the other day."

"...Alright, I'm not gonna ask, today at least."

"...Hey, Athena!"

I stiffen in place when Nistro's voice booms my direction, then turn to meet my amber red with his violet-blue.

"I'm comin' for ya, so watch your back!"

...It's funny: I should've felt threatened, but after yesterday, any new calls to challenge like this one just feel annoying. Shaking my head with a cynical smile, I joke to myself,

 _I gotta find a way to stop making as many enemies as I do friends..._

"Esper Star Sparrow, attack Heroic Challenger Spartan directly!"

Nelson's monster charges forward to strike down Nistro's with their whip...

"Please, that move is for the birds...I activate my Spartan's special ability, Heroic Formation!...When my monster is attacked, its special ability allows all the Spartans to combine their Attack Points!"

All three Spartans cloister together with their shields raised, combining their Attack Points to create a whopping total of 4800! I curse aloud,

"Shit! Nelson's Sparrow's a dead duck!"

Astral counters,

"Unless, your friend has a trick up their sleeve..."

No POV

On the battlefield, Nelson remains calm and calls back to his opponent,

"Very clever, but not as clever as this, I'm afraid. I activate my Trap, Change to Jet Iron! Now I tribute the Sparrow Family, so I can summon, the truly incredible Dimensional Jet Iron! And its Attack Points equal the total amount of the monsters that were tributed. Arise, Jet Iron!"

Just like that, the major powerhouse in the teen star's deck is summoned to the field, the total Attack Points being a gargantuan 8000. All of Athena's friends - save Astral, Tiffany, Jamal - were in awe, Caden exclaiming,

"Now there's a monster with some claws!"

"And now, Dimensional Jet Iron, attack with Iron Phoenix!"

The massive jet machine dives downward in a cloak of fire on a straight course for the waiting targets below...But the former member of the Carnival Committee doesn't flinch with fear.

"I'm activating my Trap Card, Heroic Guard! With the power of this Trap, by tributing one Spartan, I can then decrease the damage I take by its Attack Points."

One of the said monsters breaks from formation to jump up and sacrifice themselves to save the other two, the explosion's impact blowing back down against Nistro as his Life Points drop to 1400 after temporarily rising to 7800...

"Hehahaha, and here's another Trap for ya: Heroic Retribution Sword!"

One of his face-down cards flips up to reveal a scene involving a white-suited warrior reaching for a molten blade while holding a hand up to counter-defend a coming attack.

"I can activate this Trap when a Heroic Challenger is destroyed! If the monster equipped with this sword battles with the monster that destroyed the Heroic Challenger, your monster is automatically destroyed, and you take damage equal to its Attack Points! Peck on that, bird boy!"

Cringing, Athena and Astral each mutter from the sidelines,

"Damn, if that attack connects, Nelson's gonna go flying out of the park and then some."

"This is quite the comeback..."

Luckily, the boy in costume had a plan.

"Not on my watch! I activate Dimensional Jet Iron's special ability!...I tribute it to bring back the Sparrow family from my Graveyard!"

Nistro frowns as he watches the target monster get sent away to allow the four starters to return to his opponent's side of the field.

"Hmph! Lucky for you. Since Dimensional Jet Iron is gone, my sword's effect ends. (Smirk) Never thought the first challenge I had all day, would be dressed like that."

Nelson ignores the obvious baiting.

"I refuse to stoop to your level, but suffice it to say, you have proven to be a worthy foe. However, (swipes up a card) we must get back to the duel at hand! For now, by summon Gairuda, I draw one card..."

He looks down, and smiles when he sees,

 _Aah, I was wondering when she'd show up, (glance) heh, and since Addy's here..._

"I then summon a trusted ally of The Sparrow...The fierce royal from the Sundorian Planet with an inner fire that burns deep with a passion for protecting her people! Arise, Princess Kumiko!"

A portal of light dances into the atmosphere from the ground up like fire reaching for the stars, before it dies down with one sideways stroke of a Moorish sword, revealing their wielder in full. Standing just half a foot shorter than Esper Star Sparrow, this monster heralds the appearance of a young woman with long black hair tied into a crown braid with a molten copper circlet sitting on top her head, eyes the colour of burning embers and standing out against her cerise pink skin, and ears with double points atop the upper rims. Her outfit consists of a garment similar to a furisode kimono of charcoal black, persimmon orange and crimson, but made with much lighter material and cut with a high right slit showing off a pair of harvest gold leggings and bronze brown Chelsea boots. Their Level stands at Four with a fair strength of 1700 Attack Points.

"...Heheh, hey Addy, look, it's your Duel Monster doppelgänger!"

Said girl feels her face flush in embarrassment and frustration while her friends laugh.

"Oh come off it; that royal and I look nothing alike!"

"Sure you do, same eyes, hair, face and well-meaning sarcastic attitude. See?"

Following Jamal's point, we watch the hero of the hour send a sheepish smile at the Sundorian Princess who rolls her eyes in response...

 _"Sparrow, this is no time for flirting!"_

 _"Yeah, get your head in the game!"_

Snapping out of his minor daze, said monster heeds Puma and Gairuda's voices and shakes himself lose with a more humbling if slightly embarrassed expression. Fans of the television program these monsters derive from start to chuckle and giggle, recalling instances of similar behaviour between the protagonist and the princess. Meanwhile, the boy portraying the star holds a hand to his forehead with a half-smile of mortification.

 _Oh wow, as if those scenes weren't embarrassing enough on set, now this?_

"Alright, moving ahead, that's the end of my turn. You're up!"

"It's payback time, you feathered freak! My Spartan wants me to get revenge for his fallen brothers. In order to do that, I draw! I tribute my Spartan to summon, Heroic Challenger War Hammer!"

Crashing forth through the ground up, this Level Six monster with 2100 Attack Points reflects the similar theme of the previous warriors, but with a stronger build while carrying a long hammer for their weapon.

"And now, attack Beast Warrior Puma!"

Lunging forward in a leap, the Heroic Challenger swings the base of the hammer hard against Puma's torso, destroying them in a cluster of pixels. Poor Nelson is hit with the backlash of the attack, crying out as he goes flying backwards to the pavement while his Life Points sink to 2900.

"Nelson!"

"Oooh, that must've hurt...!"

Athena and Tiffany's exclaims would be followed by the shrieks and worried wails of the Esper Star Sparrow fangirls, and the costumed boy struggles to raise himself to his feet again while mourning the loss of his ally.

"Puma..."

"Aw, poor kitty cat. Looks like that's one cat that didn't have nine lives!"

 _"Rrrrrrr, I won't let you get away with that!"_

"Hm?"

Suddenly, the blade of Kumiko's Moorish sword glows a blinding yellow light at the same time the warrior princess's own irises gleam similarly, and she leaps into the air to send a slash of pure hot energy towards Nistro.

 _"Take this, you villain!"_

(Whash, bzzzt)

"Gaaauuuh!"

The young adult with soot red hair is hit dead-on, feeling the shock of the princess's power as his Life Points roll down to 1200...

"H-How did you-?!"

Stifling a chuckle, Nelson explains with a little smirk,

"Oh yes, something I probably should've mentioned before: the princess from Sundoria doesn't take to seeing her friends getting pulverized on her watch. In this case, whenever one of the members of the Sparrow Family is taken down in battle while she's on the field, you'll be dealt 200 points of direct damage."

As Kumiko relaxes her stance, Sparrow says to her,

 _"Excellent counter, Kumiko!...I'm really glad you're here."_

 _"Teh, as if I would leave my allies hanging."_

They give eachother softer smiles, the mini scene prompting Flip to nudge Athena and joke,

"We~ll, those two look a bit cozy, don't they? Something you wanna share, Addy?"

Thumping the back of his head, the girl with copper red-tipped black hair replies in an annoyed manner,

"Hell no, you doof! That's just series context; there's absolutely nothing beyond friendship going on between me and Nelson!"

"Okay okay, calm down; I was just kidding!"

Getting back to the action, Nistro all but growls,

"Grh, think you're so smug?! You won't be laughing after this!...I now activate War Hammer's special ability! War Hammer equips the monster it destroys, and gains its Attack Points!"

In other words, the Heroic Challenger warrior's strength increases to 3700, much to Athena's dislike.

"Damn!...A quick turnaround with a single card..."

Astral comments,

"That was a remarkable strategy," but Nelson is about to argue otherwise.

"Rrrh, Puma's Attack Points will not save you!"

"Kuh, well they sure aren't gonna hurt to have! Now, I end my turn with a facedown."

On the sidelines, Jamal and Caswell become concerned by the switch of strength on the battlefield.

"This isn't looking good..."

"No it's not. In the end, the difference between Heroic Challenger War Hammer's Attack Points and that of Nelson's monsters is too much."

"For now."

"Hm?" "Huh?"

The boys turn their attention to Akira, his aqua irises narrowed in concentration as he keeps his attention on the Duel Monster match.

"I'm more than certain we'll be seeing a reverse counter from The Sparrow. He and Nistro have displayed an equal amount of strategy that makes each of them formidable opponents...Besides, (half-smile) when has The Sparrow ever backed down when the odds seem against him?"

Nelson's POV

As great as it was that Kumiko managed to dent at Nistro's Life Points, with his War Hammer gaining strength from my Puma, that old feeling of self-doubt began to creep in.

 _...What am I to do?...Focus! Turn things around. What would Addy do?_

I recall our match from back in the sound studio when...I was under that Number Card's influence. Actually, that's not completely accurate: I only remember bits of it based on some playback feed my duel disk stored away...

 _When we dueled, I had her beat, but that didn't stop her from believing in herself._

 _That's what I need to do now!_

With my determination reset, I grab my next card.

"My turn! I draw!"

 _...Aha, perfect!_

Grinning, I play my new card.

"I activate the spell, Sundorian Twilight!...This card can only be activated when Princess Kumiko is on the field. It allows me to choose one of my monsters with an even Level, and change the Levels of my other monsters to that one for three turns!"

Kumiko's sword morphs to that of her people's royal war staff, an object of immense power many would give their sanity for...

"Unfortunately for you, I choose my Level Ten Esper Star Sparrow!...Princess, please lend your power to your galactic allies!"

And just like in the series I act for, my monster twirls her staff around before shooting a beam of light into the air, which splits to crash down upon the others and greatly increase their strength.

 _Alright. Now it's time to bring out the big guns._

"I Overlay my three Level Ten Monsters, in order to build the Overlay Network! Now the power of the Sparrow Family will join forces so that I can XYZ summon, Super Dimensional Robot Galaxy Destroyer!"

Arguably my strongest monster beside Dimensional Jet Iron, they're a giant robot made from blue-schemed metal and with horns at the side of its head. And let's not forget their impeccable strength of 5000 Attack Points and three Overlay Units...

"Prepare to be blasted out of this world!...I activate Galaxy Destroyer's special ability! By using one Overlay Unit, all the Spell and Trap cards on your field are destroyed! Go, Galaxy Break!"

I was able to easily decipher from his expression between summoning and calling the attack that Nistro's facedown would've likely been a trap to stop a more offensive measure, so I knew I had to get rid of the counter quickly. Based on the new look of disbelief, it seems my hunch was correct.

 _Once more, by releasing Puma from his role as an equip, War Hammer becomes weaker..._

"And now, Super Dimensional Robot Galaxy Destroyer, attack War Hammer!"

My monster manifests its blaster gun, and charges it up to fire. Victory seemed assured...but then-

"Not so fast, you costumed crackpot! I send my Heroic Challenger Sword Shield from my hand to my Graveyard! When I do that, if there's 2000 or more points of damage dealt to me in battle...the battle damage is negated, and my Life Points become 100!"

So by a miracle of fate, my opponent is able to barely survive my XYZ monster's cataclysmic blast, much to my frustration.

 _Guuurh, you're kidding...!_

"I would've won the duel if you hadn't made that move! (Irritated smile) Guess my victory's gonna have to wait."

I watch Nistro rise back onto his feet before getting on with his next turn.

"Now for my comeback, (swipes up a card)!...I summon Heroic Challenger Double Lance!"

This monster would be enclosed in off-white battle armour while carrying a pair of the weapons named, Level Four and with 1700 Attack Points.

"And I truly mean double, 'cause this monster counts as two when XYZ summoning."

"Uh!...Can it be...?"

 _Sounds like my Galaxy Destroyer's about to receive a more substantial opponent..._

"That means I Overlay two Level Four Double Lances!...With these two monsters, I build the Overlay Network, and XYZ summon, Heroic Challenger Excalibur!"

Standing only a head or two shorter than my own monster, Nistro's embodies the appearance of a knight in red armour, Rank Four and with 2000 Attack Points!

"It seems this duel has taken a most wicked turn...!"

 _My monster's strength may prevail over his, but for how long...?_

Not long based on the smirk Nistro wears as he exclaims,

"Now things are going to get worse for you, because I'm activating Excalibur's special ability! By using one Overlay Unit, it can double its Attack Points!"

 _So now his warrior stands a tall 4000...Just off by a 1000 with one ability. Amazing..._

"Now I'll really ruffle your feathers, when I activate the Spell Card, Heroic Chance, and Excalibur's Attack Points are doubled again!"

 _Uh! 8000 Attack Points?!...I have no way to counter. This duel is, finished..._

I accept the consequences of the match just as Nistro makes the final call.

"Heroic Challenger Excalibur, attack Galaxy Destroyer! Go, Shock Sword Slash!"

"Ah! Impossible!"

One strike from that electric-charged blade and my robot is down for the count, leaving me to go flying backwards from the explosion's impact as my Life Points drain away to zero...But as I lay on the pavement and remove my gazer, I don't feel any overwhelming negativity over losing.

"Ngh...my wings were clipped...heh. Heheh."

"Yo, Nelson!"

"Hm?"

I sit up and spot a certain friend jogging over to me.  
Standing up in full, I remove my mask and brush down my hair to address her as myself.

"Ah, Athena. The only girl I know who actually remembers to address me by name first before character."

"Probably 'cause I'm not one of your ditsy fangirls despite expressing some enjoyment in Esper Star Sparrow."

We both laugh at her response before she then asks,

"Speaking of Sparrow, how come you're out here dressed as your alter ego? I would've thought after the drama from a while back, you'd be trying to avoid work off-set whenever possible."

"Heh, true enough...but this actually a part of my strategy."

"...Uuuhm, I'm gonna need a little context."

"I thought it might psyche my opponents out, if they were facing a super powerful hero like The Sparrow."

Her face lights up with realization.

"Oooh, psychological warfare, is it? Nice...Shame it didn't work on your latest opponent."

Speaking of Nistro, we spot him coming our way up the stairs from the other side of the courtyard...I don't miss the sudden tensing in Athena's body, making me frown briefly in concern.

 _Hmm, so she's encountered him before I have...but obviously not in a good way._

 _I wonder what happened..._

"Not bad. Not bad at all."

Snapping back to reality, I reply with a polite smile,

"Right back at you. Guess you earned my Heart Piece..."

I hand Nistro the bit of gem required to complete the entrance key for the next part of the Carnival...

"So you and Dextra aren't a part of the committee anymore, are you?"

He turns his focus on Athena and replies,

"That's right. We wanted a piece of the action."

"I see..."

"Be sure to make the finals, Athena. I'll be waiting."

"Mph...Teh, right, (forced smirk) well it's not like you're the only one after my hide, so all I can say is get in line."

 _Not the only one?_

Nothing else is exchanged between the two after that, and Nistro walks away with his friend...  
Sensing my friend's lingering discomfort, I smile at her reassuringly and say,

"Don't let him get to you. You know, you're the reason I was able to go the distance."

"Oh yeah?"

"Mhm. Remember our duel? I had you on the ropes, but you wouldn't give up."

"...You remember the match?"

My smile falters the slightest as I explain,

"Well, sort of. My memory's a bit shot thanks to the Number Card, but my duel disk had recorded the battle for the play-by-play function."

"Huh..."

"Addy!"

That's when the rest of her friends - some I know well enough by now that I can consider them friends too while others are still in the acquaintance category - come our way. I say to them,

"I was just telling Addy that it was her spirit that inspired me to duel against all odds with Nistro. (Looks at her) I may play a hero on television, but your relentless spirit in a duel makes you my hero, Athena."

"And apparently inspires you to be cheeky and play a card with a few remote - _emphasis on remote, boys_ \- similarities to me."

"Uh...!"

She smirks at me with a bit of irritation and inquires,

"You played Sundorian Princess Kumiko on purpose, didn't you?"

Caught red-handed, my lips curve between a sheepish smile and a mischievous smirk.

"Ah-heh, you caught me, but I couldn't help myself after I spotted you in the audience...It's strange: we met long after Kumiko's character was created, but you and her do share enough commonalities that could make you her real-life double."

"Oh god, not you too!"

She covers her face in embarrassment as the rest of us laugh.

 _So there is more to her than just being a little brash, sarcastic and passionate in protecting her loved ones..._

"Aw, no need to get red, hun; we're just pokin' a bit of fun!"

"Tch, yeah, at my expense, Calli, now knock it off!"

"Or what, you gonna pull out your own sword and blast us off our feet?"

"I'm warning you, Jamal, one more comment and you'll be the first I tackle to the ground!"

"Careful man, I think she means it!"

I just shake my head in amusement at the animated reactions between these people I hold importance to.

 _Friends really do make life worth everything..._

 _...Hm?_

That's when I suddenly felt this, stare, a bit piercing but nothing truly threatening coming from a small distance away, and I look around in confusion.

 _Odd...it feels like someone's watching me, but I don't see anyone..._

Astral's POV

Amongst the positive chaos of Athena and our friends, I notice Nelson suddenly looking to and fro with a befuddled expression on his face. I almost assumed that perhaps it might have been my own presence he was subconsciously sensing (there have been a few previous instances which suggest some humans in this world may not be fully aware of my existence like Athena, but can feel my stare)...until I realize I'm no longer the only 'invisible' person in the open.

"...I see you are being true to your words with regards to protecting your, mistress, was it? You are aware of course that Nelson is not a threat."

My glance turns sideways...to meet with the eyes of Adreus, Keeper of Armageddon. He replies to me,

 **"Of course he isn't...but that Nistro and Dextra duo were causing some ill of ease within Athena, which urged me to rise out from her deck and watch they didn't do anything funny."**

"I see..."

How this development came to pass is a rather curious tale.

Flashback

 _It began not too long after Athena had gone to sleep the other night after our argument, and the night had only grown quiet...when I sensed a shift of energy within the connected attic and bedroom._

 _"Hm?"_

 _...A duel monster...?_

 _Peering down below through the floor door, my eyes widen when I spot a shadow hovering over where Kite and Hart were sleeping!_

 _"What in the...Who are you?!"_

 _They dart their head up to stare my way, revealing blood red irises that sent a shiver down my spine...before floating upward through the structure of the ceiling for the attic..._

 _Uh, Athena! She could be in danger!_

 _Worried for my friend, I hurry back up in time to watch the dark figure head inside the key...I do not hesitate in following after them, concerned that they might be someone I continue to pray is under a strong lock.  
_

 _If this is who I think it is..._

 _Stopping just in front of the golden airship, I call out with a stern glare,_

 _"...Number Ninety-Six, if you are here for another fight, I can assure you the outcome will end the same as last time! Come out and face me if you dare!"  
_

 ** _"...Heheheh, the young mistress has had quite the effect on you, I see. Very brave of you to call a challenge, Astral."_**

 _Huh?...That was not Black Mist..._

 _I am careful to not let my relief show, dropping only the slightest amount of my guard as I then inquire,_

 _"...Who are you, and why were you hovering over Kite and Hart a moment ago?"_

 _The time to wait would not be any longer than a few seconds, before the figure emerges from the shadows to reveal themselves._

 ** _"Oh I believe you know me already from the Duel Fist match earlier this evening."_**

 _"Hh!...Adreus?"_

 _He grinned at me and replied,_

 ** _"The one and only."_**

 _"...But, what brings you here? H-How are you here? Have you always been able to manifest from your card?"_

 ** _"Hehaha, easy there; you'll tie your tongue into a knot at that rate...To answer simply, I've been popping out of my card in spirit form for a number of years. It's a trait many Duel Monsters have but few use."  
_**

 _Ah yes, of course...Augmented Reality is not the only place where Duel Monsters come alive..._

 _Since there was no true threat present, I relax and stimulate further conversation with this XYZ monster.  
_

 _"Does, Athena know of this?"_

 ** _"Not exactly. I have been watching over her since she first picked me up from that shop a year and a half ago, but haven't really made my spiritual presence known to her."_**

 _"Why is that?"_

 ** _"I just feel it's safer for me to guard her from a distance. It would've been especially dangerous to show myself in full during her time with those thugs. Her mind was...and still is in a fragile state. I'd rather not scare her."_**

 _"I see...There is still one question you have yet to answer, though. Why were you hovering over Kite and his younger brother?"  
_

 _His smile turned into a dark smirk as he replied,_

 ** _"Ha, oh that? I merely gave the Number Hunter a little warning to watch himself in my mistress's company."_**

 _"A warning? (Narrows eyes) You terrorized him in his sleep?"_

 ** _"Perhaps~, but not enough to traumatize him if that's your concern."_**

 _"...I am not sure if I approve of your methods."  
_

 _His face grew more serious as he argued,_

 ** _"You have your ways and I my own...but we both share the same desire to protect Athena, and that's what really counts in these troubled times...Troubled times that have only begun to rear their ugly head."_**

 _"I, suppose you make a fair point..."  
_

End of Flashback

And as I observe the Duel Monster spirit now, I cannot help but feel both intimidated by his presence...if a little safer by it.

 _His aura may be rather imposing, but he is a remarkably strong ally to have..._

 _Still, his methods in keeping Athena safe are rather questionable._

 **"I can sense your conflict in trusting me."  
**

I nearly jump in place from the sound of his voice, and he side-glances me with a wry smirk.

 **"You're not used to someone of my personality, are you?"**

"Um...not, particularly."

 **"Let me guess: I remind you of the Number that's been nothing less than a diabolical nuisance to you and the mistress."**

...I avoid eye contact with him as I nod a little...

 **"Suppose I can't really blame you for feeling that way...but I'm certain I can change your thinking with time. Just remember: we both share a same desire."**

"...Right. Of course."

 **"And because you mean so much to the mistress...consider yourself protected as well."**

Now that caught me off-guard, and I whirl back his way as I exclaim,

"Uh, me?!"

His smile becomes more sincere as he replies,

 **"Yes you. Your current defenses can only do so much. It would be worth your while to have an XYZ like myself on your side...And besides all that...you've become a strong light in my mistress's darkness, and revitalized her soul...Meanwhile, she's been giving your own soul the edge needed to combat the world."**

 _Giving my soul edge...?_

 **"You're only discovering your strengths with each Number returned, but that strength will only provide you with so much...Astral, if you want to eventually stand as a protector for your world, you need to build up your character, become someone worthy of your home."**

...

His words seemed to echo in my mind as we focus away from one another, nearly burning deep into my spirit.

 _...To be worthy of the place you come from..._


End file.
